Seating system and a passenger accommodation unit for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A passenger seat assembly for a vehicle, particularly an aircraft, which is adapted to provide self-contained, individual seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger, said seating assembly includes a supporting structure ( 42 ) for supporting said assembly off the floor of a vehicle; one or more movable, passenger-bearing, structural components ( 71,72 ); and means for connecting said movable, structural components to said structure such that said components can be selectively moved between a seat configuration, in which a plurality of passenger-bearing surfaces on said one or more structural, movable components ( 71,71 ) or said supporting structure form a seat for the passenger, and a bed configuration, in which a plurality of said bearing surfaces ( 47,48,67,74,76 ) are disposed substantially coplanarly and substantially contiguously to form a bed for the passenger; characterized in that at least one of said movable components ( 72 ) is double-sided, comprising first and second opposite sides, one of said sides having a first seat surface ( 73 ) that forms part of the seat in said seat configuration, and the other side having a second bed surface ( 74 ) that forms part of said bed in said bed configuration.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/774,244, filed Feb. 6, 2004, hereby incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a novel seating system for a passengervehicle, particularly an aircraft. The present invention also relates toa passenger accommodation unit for a vehicle, which accommodation unitis adapted to provide individual, self-contained seating and sleepingaccommodation for a passenger. The to accommodation unit of the presentinvention may be adapted for use on any passenger vehicle, includingomnibuses, coaches, ferries and railway carriages, but is particularlysuited for use on aircraft. The present invention also comprehendsimprovements in or relating to passenger seats for vehicles,particularly aircraft.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A conventional passenger seat for an aircraft comprises a back-rest anda seat-pan that are supported off the floor of the vehicle by means of asuitable supporting structure that is anchored to a pair of seat tracksin the floor. The seat defines a notional longitudinal seat axis, asviewed from the perspective of a passenger using the seat, and aplurality of such seats are adapted to be arranged in rows in apassenger accommodation cabin within the fuselage of an aircraft, eachrow extending transversely across the cabin, one behind another, withthe notional seat axis of each seat substantially aligned with thelongitudinal axis of the fuselage such that each seat faces forwards.Usually, the back-rest of the seat is capable of reclining from anupright position to a reclined position for the comfort of a passengerusing the seat during the course of a flight. Some prior art passengerseats, particularly seats for use in business-class and first-class ofsections of aircraft, where the pitch between adjacent rows of seats isgreater than in an economy-class cabin, also comprise a leg-rest whichis hinged to the front of the seat-pan and is capable of movementbetween a lowered or stowed position, in which the leg-rest depends fromthe seat-pan generally vertically towards the floor, and a raised ordeployed position in which the leg-rest extends forwardly of theseat-pan to bear the passenger's legs off the floor. Thus, it ispossible with conventional aircraft passenger seats to obtain a fairdegree of comfort by reclining the back-rest and elevating the leg-rest,when fitted.

Whilst the above-described arrangement of conventional aircraftpassenger-seats is generally satisfactory for short-haul flights havinga duration of up to three or four hours, it is not satisfactory for useon longer flights during which passengers typically wish to go to sleep.Even in the reclined position described above, a passenger using theseat remains in a general sitting position. Many passengers find itdifficult to sleep properly, if at all, when sitting. In recent yearsthere has been a significant increase in the number of passengers whoregularly make long-haul flights, and there has been a trend in the artto devise passenger seats which allow passengers to adopt furtherreclined positions during the course of a flight to facilitate sleeping.This is particularly important for passengers who travel for businesspurposes for whom it is desirable that they arrive at their destinationsfeeling refreshed and alert.

One possibility that has been disclosed in the art for increasing thedegree to which an aircraft passenger seat can be reclined comprehendssimply increasing the extent to which the back-rest can be reclinedbackwards and the leg-rest elevated. In the extreme, it is possible toform a substantially flat bed using such a technique in which theback-rest is reclined and the leg-rest raised, each to such an extentthat they are disposed substantially co-planarly with the seat-pan andeach other. A disadvantage of such a system is that the pitch betweenadjacent rows of seats must be increased substantially to accommodatethe full height of a passenger. Whilst this is sometimes possible in thefirst-class area of an aircraft cabin, it is generally uneconomic for abusiness-class cabin. Furthermore, whilst it is possible to form agenerally flat surface which is disposed substantially horizontally, thesurface is still not ideal, because the foam or other padding on theseat is generally sculptured for use as a seat, whereas for a bed, it isdesirable to have a substantially flat surface.

GB 2326824 A discloses a seating unit for a first class aircraft cabincomprising a secondary seat positioned to face a primary seat, thesecondary seat having a seating portion positioned to cooperate with aleg-rest of the primary seat to form a continuous, flat sleeping surfacewhen the back-rest of the primary seat is reclined to a horizontalposition. The seating unit defines a notional, longitudinal seat axis,and a plurality of such seating units may be arranged within the cabinside-by-side in a longitudinally offset relation with respect to thelongitudinal axis of each seat, with each seating unit being oriented atan acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the aircraft fuselage, so asto define a generally triangular or trapezoidal space to the front orrear of each seating unit (according to whether the seating units faceoutwards or inwards relative to the cabin). The space is used toaccommodate a counter-top to one side of an adjacent seating unit andoptionally a cupboard or other storage space. The seating unit of GB2326824 A has the advantage that by incorporating an additional,secondary seat in the flat sleeping surface together with back-rest,seating portion and leg-rest of the primary seat, it is possible to forma long sleeping surface which is able to accommodate comfortablypassengers having a height of greater than 6 ft (1.83 m). However, theseating unit of GB 2326824 A represents an even greater overhead inturns of cabin space than the conventional system described above and,moreover, still suffers from the disadvantage that the seat cushioningis designed principally for use as a seat and not a bed. A disadvantageof the seat of GB 2326824 A is that it occupies a very large floor areawithin the cabin and, in view of its overall length, the seating unit ofGB 2326824 A is wholly unsuitable for use in a business class section ofan aircraft.

WO 00/21831 A2 discloses a seating unit which can be converted into abed for use principally in a business-class section of aircraft cabin.The seating unit of WO 00/21831 A2 comprises a pair of seats facing inopposite directions, each seat comprising a seating space for the seatedbody of an occupant and an extension space in which the legs of anoccupant may be placed. The seats are positioned each side of a notionaldividing axis with the seating space of one extending over the axis intothe extension space of the other. When installed in an aircraft cabin,one of the seats faces substantially forwards and the other facessubstantially aft. Each seat of the seating unit of WO 00/21831 A2comprises a primary seat that is substantially the same as the primaryseat of GB 2326824 A described above, but without a leg-rest, and asecondary unit spaced forwardly of the primary seat. Each seat thuscomprises a primary seat having a reclinable back-rest and seat-pan anda secondary unit comprising an elevated pad which serves as a foot-rest.The primary seat can be reclined such that as the back-rest is reclined,the seat-pan moves forwardly to meet the secondary unit to form acontinuous surface therewith which serves as a sleeping surface for apassenger. As with GB 2326824 A, the seating unit of WO 00/21831 A2therefore has the advantage of providing a substantially horizontalsleeping surface for a passenger during long-haul flights. However, theseating unit of WO 00/21831 A2 is still extravagant in terms of thespace available within a typical business-class cabin and also suffersfrom the disadvantage that when configured as a bed, each seat is unableto accommodate comfortably tall passengers. As with the other prior artseats described above, each of the seats of the seating unit of WO00/21831 A2 also suffers from the disadvantage that the seat cushioningis not specifically designed for use as a bed surface, but is contouredfor use principally as a seating surface.

Another attribute of a passenger seat for use in a first-class aircraftcabin is a generous seat width. A further disadvantage associated withthe seating unit of WO 00/21831 A2 is that in order to accommodate amaximal head count within a business class cabin, the seat width isreduced, which many passengers find to be uncomfortable. Whilst theseating unit of WO 00/21831 A2 has the undeniable benefit of providing asubstantially flat sleeping surface for a passenger in-flight, itsoverall dimensions are such that passengers of above average heightand/or weight find the accommodation somewhat cramped. Furthermore,privacy screens are provided between adjacent seating units which, incombination with the total number of seating units provided in thelimited space afforded by a business class cabin, result in the cabin asa whole having a somewhat crowded appearance.

FR 987559 A discloses a seating installation for public transportvehicles such as motor cars, auto buses and the like comprising a row ofseats, each seat comprising a supporting structure for supporting theseat off the floor of a vehicle, a seat-pan and a back-rest. Said rowdefines an aisle between two adjacent seats. The seat-pan of one of theseats adjacent the aisle can be removed and slung in an invertedorientation between the supporting structures of the two seats adjoiningthe aisle to form an additional seat in the aisle. The back-rest of theone seat can then be rocked forwards into the space formerly occupied bythe seat-pan to provide a replacement seat-pan for the one seat. Theback-rest of the one seat thus has front and rear surfaces which canboth serve as part of a seat. Optionally the entire row of seats couldsupport a mattress to form a couchette. However, the installation of FR987559 A is not suitable for use on a passenger aircraft where theaisles must be kept unobstructed at all times and, furthermore, aplurality of adjacent seats are used to provide support for a singlecouchette. Thus the installation of FR 987559 A is not able to provideone couchette per seat.

JP 5-13838 A discloses a seating system for vehicles such as buses andtrains comprising a plurality of seats. Each seat comprises a seat-panand a back-rest that can rock between an upright position and a reclinedposition, and the seats are positioned within a cabin at an angle withrespect to a centre-line of the cabin and is face outwardly to define agenerally triangular space between each seat and a wall of the cabin.Said space accommodates a box comprising a foot-rest for an adjacentseat.

FR 647809 A discloses a seating system for a sleeping car in which aplurality of seats are arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis ofthe sleeping car, facing inwardly to define a generally triangular spaceto the rear of each seat which is used to accommodate a small table foran adjacent seat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment of the present invention provides improved passengeraccommodation for a business-class section of a passenger aircraft. Inparticular, an embodiment of the invention provides such accommodationwhich incorporates a fiat sleeping surface of maximal length andpreferably also of maximal width.

Another embodiment of the present invention provides an improvedpassenger accommodation unit for a vehicle, particularly an aircraft,which accommodation unit is adapted to provide self-contained,individual seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger,particularly for use in the business-class section of an aircraft wherethe pitch between adjacent rows of seats is typically in the range of50-60 inches (1.27 to 1.52 meters).

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a passengeraccommodation unit which can be converted into a bed having maximallength to accommodate tall passengers, particularly those having heightgreater than 6 ft (1.83 meters).

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a passengeraccommodation unit for a vehicle having a seating surface which may beespecially adapted for use as a seating surface and a bed surface thatmay be especially adapted for use as a bed surface.

A different embodiment of the present invention provides a passengeraccommodation unit which can be converted into a bed and which promotesor contributes to a first cabin ambience when configured as a seat and asecond, different cabin ambience when configured as a bed. Thus, yetanother embodiment of the invention provides a seating system for avehicle cabin comprising a plurality of passenger accommodation unitswhich can be converted into beds and which, when all is or a majority ofthe units are configured as seats, gives the cabin a particular firstoverall visual appearance and, when all or a majority of the units areconfigured as beds, gives the cabin a second overall appearance orambience.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a seatingsystem for a passenger vehicle, particularly an aircraft, whichoptimises the use of space within a passenger cabin.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention provides a seatingsystem for a cabin of a passenger vehicle which has a substantiallyuncrowded appearance.

Further embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilledin the art from the following description of the invention and specificembodiments of the invention.

According to one embodiment of the present invention there is provided apassenger accommodation unit for a vehicle, particularly an aircraft,which is adapted to provide self-contained, individual seating andsleeping accommodation for a passenger, said accommodation unitcomprising: supporting structure for supporting said assembly off thefloor of a vehicle; one or more movable passenger-bearing, structuralcomponents; and means for connecting said movable, structural componentsto said structure such that said components can be selectively movedbetween a seat configuration, in which a plurality of passenger-bearingsurfaces on said one or more of said structural, movable components orsaid supporting structure form a seat for the passenger, and a bedconfiguration, in which a plurality of said bearing surfaces aredisposed substantially coplanarly and substantially contiguously to forma bed for the passenger; characterised in that at least one of saidmovable components is double-sided, comprising first and second oppositesides, one of said sides having a first seat surface that forms part ofthe seat in said seat configuration, and the other side having a secondbed surface that forms part of said bed in said bed configuration.

The double-sided, movable, structural component may comprise aninternal, load-bearing diaphragm having first and second opposite facesand first and second outer cushioning layers adapted to be supported bysaid diaphragm on said first and second faces respectively. Thus, saidone side of said double-sided movable is component may, for example,carry a layer of foam padding having a contoured surface that is shapedfor use as a seat component, and said other side may carry a layer offoam padding having a substantially flat surface for use as part of abed. Said first side of said double-sided, movable component may have afirst appearance that contributes to or promotes an overall cabinappearance that is suitable for a seating environment. For instance,said first surface may have a leather or simulated leather seatcovering. Said second surface may have a visual appearance whichcontributes to or promotes an overall cabin ambience that is appropriatefor a sleeping environment. Thus, said second surface may be upholsteredin fabrics or other materials having an appearance that is usuallyassociated with bedding materials.

Preferably, said double-sided component is a back-rest component. Saidback-rest component may be connected to the supporting structure suchthat it can be selectively pivoted between a first generally uprightposition, in which the first surface is arranged to form part of theseat, and a second prone position in which said second surface isarranged to form part of the bed. Preferably, the second bed surface ofthe back-rest component is generally horizontal in the second proneposition.

In some embodiments, one or more of said passenger-bearing surfaces maydefine a seat-pan. Said back-rest component may be connected to thestructure such that, in the second prone position, the back-restcomponent overlays the seat-pan. Thus, in accordance with the presentinvention, said seat-pan may have a dedicated seating surface which isshaped and upholstered specifically for use as a seat. In the bedconfiguration, the seat-pan may be wholly or partially concealed by theback-rest component in the second prone position such that the seatingappearance of the seat-pan is hidden by the back-rest.

In some embodiments, said seat-pan may comprise one or more of saidmoveable components which are connected to said supporting structure formovement in a direction having a vertical component between an upperdeployed position and a lower stowed position, and seat-pan moving meansmay be provided for moving the seat-pan from the upper deployed positionto the lower stowed position when the back-rest component is moved fromthe upright position to the prone position. Thus, in said second proneposition, the back-rest component may occupy the space that is normallyoccupied by the seat-pan in the upper deployed position, the seat-panbeing displaced to its lower stowed position in the bed configuration.This feature of the invention allows the bed surface of the seatassembly to be provided at a relatively low-level off the floor of thevehicle to make it easy for a passenger to climb in to and out of thebed.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention, one or more of saidpassenger-bearing surfaces comprise a bed extension surface, which bedextension surface is positioned or deployable to be positioned forwardlyor rearwardly of the seat in said seat configuration. Said back-restcomponent may be connected to the structure such that in said proneposition said second bed surface and said bed extension surface form asubstantially continuous surface. Said bed extension surface may bepositioned, or may be deployable to be positioned forwardly of theseat-pan component such that, in the seat configuration, said bedextension surface may serve as a foot-rest. Said accommodation unit maytherefore not have a leg-rest component that is connected to anddeployable from the seat-pan. Thus, in place of such a conventionalleg-rest, the accommodation unit of the present invention may include aseparate foot-rest surface at a position spaced forwardly of theseat-pan.

In some embodiments, one or more of said passenger-bearing surfaces maycomprise a rear extension surface behind said back-rest component, andsaid back-rest component may be connected to the structure such that insaid prone position said second bed surface and said extension surfaceare substantially coplanar.

In some embodiments, said back-rest component may be spaced forwardly ofsaid rear extension surface in said prone position, and a movable infillcomponent may be provided that is connected to said structure such thatit is movable between a stowed position and a deployed position, whichinfill component comprises a passenger-bearing infill surface thatextends between said back-rest component and said rear extension surfacewhen said infill component is deployed, such that said rear extensionsurface, infill surface and second bed surface form a substantiallycontinuous surface, and means may be provided for moving the infillcomponent from said stowed position to said deployed position when theback-rest component is moved from the upright position to the proneposition. Said infill component may be mounted pivotably behind theback-rest component intermediate the rear extension surface, such thatin the stowed position the infill component may be angled to thehorizontal and, upon deployment, may be pivoted to the deployedposition. Thus, in bed configuration, the bed may be constituted by arear extension surface, an infill is surface and a foot-rest surface aswell as the second surface of the back-rest component.

The bed in accordance with the present invention may have an overalllength of at least 78″ (1.98 meters) and, in same embodiments, may havea length in excess of 85″ (2.16 meters).

Preferably, said back-rest component is connected to the structure forselective movement between an upright position and a fully reclinedposition in which the back-rest component is rocked rearwardly relativeto the upright position. In some embodiments, one or more of saidmovable components may comprise a seat-pan which is connected to thesupporting structure such that it can be pivoted relative to thesupporting structure between a first position and a second position, andmeans may be provided for pivoting the seat-pan progressively from thefirst position to the second position as the back-rest component ispivoted rearwardly from the upright position to the fully reclinedposition.

It has been found surprisingly that a plurality of passengeraccommodation unit according to embodiments of the present invention maybe arranged within a business-class section of an aircraft cabin withoutsignificantly reducing the number of seats. Each seat defines a notionallongitudinal axis that extends fore-and-aft relative to the normalmanner of using the seat. It has been found that a maximal number of thepassenger accommodation units according to the present invention may beaccommodated within an aircraft cabin if each unit is arranged with itsnotional axis to subtend an angle in the range of 35 to 55° with thelongitudinal axis of the aircraft.

Thus, according to another embodiment of the invention, there isprovided a seating system for a passenger vehicle, particularly anaircraft, comprising a plurality of seat units, each seat unit defininga notional longitudinal seat axis and comprising a supporting structureadapted for attaching the seat unit to a floor of a vehicle and meansforming or being configurable for forming a seat comprising a seat-panand a back-rest; characterised in that said seat units are arranged toform a column defining a notional longitudinal column axis, in whichcolumn said seat-units are arranged side-by-side in longitudinallyoffset relation at an acute angle to the notional column axis, therebydefining to the rear of each seat, each seat unit further comprisingmeans forming or being configurable for forming a substantially flatbed, a major proportion of which bed is disposed forwardly of theposition of the seat, which bed extends rearwardly into said space toextend the flat-bed.

Preferably said space to the rear of each seat is generally triangularor trapezoidal.

Said acute angle is typically in the range 30-60°, preferably 40-50°,e.g. 40°, 45° or 50°. Normally, the seat units are installed in anaccommodation cabin of said vehicle, which cabin defines a notionallongitudinal cabin axis. Said notional column axis may be substantiallyparallel to or subtend an acute angle with said cabin axis. Thus, withinan aircraft cabin, seat units according to embodiments of the presentinvention may be positioned in a “herringbone” arrangement.

Said seat units may be disposed adjacent a side wall of the vehicle andface inwardly. Preferably, said accommodation cabin comprises twoopposing side walls, and a column of seat units may be positionedcontiguously or closely adjacent to each wall such that each seat facesinto the cabin, with an extension surface behind the back-rest of theseat disposed adjacent the wall. The seats may thus have their backs tothe vehicle wall, giving the cabin as a whole an uncrowded appearance.

Where cabin space permits, one or more additional columns of seat unitsmay be provided towards the centre of the cabin. If it is possible toaccommodate two central columns of seats in any given cabin, thenpreferably those columns are arranged generally back-to-back.

Preferably each seat unit further comprises a foot-rest that ispositioned forwardly of the seat. Said foot-rest can thus be used by anoccupant of the seat to support his or her feet in-flight in an elevatedposition and/or by another passenger to sit on whilst visiting theoccupant. Provided that such a foot-rest is provided, it has been foundthat passengers do not require the seat unit to incorporate a movableleg-rest as part of the seat-forming means.

In some embodiments, each seat unit may further comprise a first privacyscreen that is positioned forwardly of said foot-rest.

Said seat forming means and said bed forming means may comprise one ormore movable passenger-bearing elements which are selectivelyconfigurable to form, in a seat mode, at least part of the seat for apassenger or, in a bed mode, at least part of said flat bed, andadvantageously the flat bed in the bed mode is disposed at substantiallythe same level as the seat-pan in the seat mode.

Preferably, each seat unit optionally comprises a first, preferablyfixed, passenger-supporting element in said space to the rear of theseat, which first passenger-supporting element is disposed substantiallycoplanarly with said one or more movable elements when said movableelements are configured in the bed mode and is adapted to form part ofsaid flat bed. Said first passenger-supporting element may be generallytriangular or trapezoidal. It will be appreciated that the firstpassenger-supporting element is only used by a passenger when the seatunit is arranged in the bed configuration, and accordingly the seat unitmay be arranged such that the first passenger-supporting element extendsinto a lateral recess defined by the concave cabin side wall to maximisethe use of space in the cabin.

Advantageously, each seat unit optimally further comprises a second,preferably fixed, passenger-supporting element to one side of the seat,which second passenger-supporting element is disposed substantiallycoplanarly with said first passenger supporting element and is adaptedto form part of said flat bed when the movable elements are configuredin said bed mode, thereby to extend said flat bed laterally. Said secondpassenger-supporting element may be generally triangular or trapezoidal.Said first fixed element of one seat unit may be disposed substantiallycontiguously to the second fixed element of an adjacent seat unit, andsaid first and second elements may be divided from one another by asecond privacy screen. Said first and second elements may occupysubstantially all of the space to the rear of the seat.

An embodiment of the present invention thus provides a seating systemwhich is particularly suited for a business-class cabin of a passengeraircraft. The seating system of the present invention providesindividual seat units having back-rests and seat-pans and optionalfoot-rests to allow passengers to rest their legs in an elevatedposition during a flight. Each seat unit is provided with self-containedmeans for forming a substantially flat bed, and the use of space withinthe cabin is optimised by positioning the flat bed to extend rearwardlybehind the seat into a space defined by the arrangement of the seatunits. Surprisingly, it has been found that in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention it is possible to provide flat bedswithin a business-class section of a passenger aircraft having a lengthof up to 7 ft (2.13 meters) without substantially sacrificinghead-count. Furthermore, the applicants have found that the seat unitsof an embodiment of the present invention can be positioned to give thecabin a substantially uncrowded appearance.

Said supporting structure may be manufactured from any suitable,aviation standard, lightweight material that is known to those skilledin the art and may be equipped with suitable anchoring means foranchoring the seat unit to seat tracks in an aircraft passenger cabin.Preferably, the supporting structure comprises a pallette or splinthwhich is adopted to be attached to said seat tracks.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there isprovided a seat module for a passenger vehicle, said seat modulecomprising a seat portion, a foot-rest portion, a unitary supportingstructure for supporting said seat portion and said foot-rest portionoff the floor of the vehicle and attaching means for attaching saidsupporting structure to a pair of seat tracks in a floor of the vehicle;characterised in that said attaching means comprise two spaced fixingsfor fixing the supporting structure to one of the tracks of the pair attwo spaced points and a single third fixing for fixing the supportingstructure to the other track, thereby to provide a 3-point fixingbetween the seat module and the seat tracks; the arrangement being suchthat a plurality of said seat modules can be attached to a pair of seattracks, one adjacent another, thereby to form a plurality of seat units,each seat unit comprising the seat portion of one module and thefoot-rest portion of another, adjacent module.

It has been found that the use of a 3-point fixing between a unitaryseat supporting structure and a pair of seat tracks in accordance withthe present invention allows the two seat tracks forming the pair agreater degree of flexibility to move relative to one another in theevent of undue stresses being applied to the aircraft infrastructuresuch, for example, as in the event of an emergency or crash landing,thus reducing the likelihood of the structure becoming detached from theseat tracks at one or more of the fixing points under such conditions.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention there isprovided a passenger seat assembly for a passenger vehicle, particularlyan aircraft, which assembly is adapted to provide seating and sleepingaccommodation for a passenger, said assembly comprising:

a supporting structure adapted for supporting the assembly off the flooris of the vehicle;

a plurality of seat elements including a seat-pan element and aback-rest element, said back-rest element comprising first and secondopposite sides, one of said sides having a first seat surface and theother side having a substantially flat second bed surface;

one or more auxiliary accommodation elements connected to or formingpart of said supporting structure and being positioned or beingdeployable to be positioned juxtaposed said seat, the or each auxiliaryaccommodation element having an auxiliary, substantially flat,passenger-bearing surface; and

a seat movement mechanism adapted for connecting the seat elements tothe supporting structure, said seat movement mechanism including a seatconversion sub-mechanism adapted to allow and control movement of theseat elements such that the seat elements can be selectively movedbetween a seat configuration adapted to provide a seat for the passengerand a bed configuration adapted to provide a bed for the passenger, theseat conversion sub-mechanism being adapted for controlling movement ofthe back-rest element such that said back-rest element is pivotable froma first upright position, in which said first seat surface of theback-rest element cooperates with said seat-pan element for forming theseat, to a second prone position in which the second bed surface isdisposed substantially coplanarly and contiguously with one or more ofsaid auxiliary passenger-bearing surfaces for forming the bed.

Thus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, apassenger seat assembly is provided having a plurality of moveableseat-elements which are adapted to form a seat. The seat assembly canalso be converted into a bed configuration in which the back-restelement and one or more of the auxiliary elements form a sleepingsurface for a passenger. The embodiment is characterised in that theback-rest element has a first face that is specifically adapted for useas a seating surface and second opposite face that is specificallyadapted for use as sleeping surface.

Preferably, said seat movement mechanism is adapted to control movementof said seat-pan element and said back-rest element in relation to eachother. Said seat conversion sub-mechanism may be adapted to controlmovement of said back-rest element such that as the back-rest element ismoved from the first position to the second position said back-restelement rocks forwardly over the seat-pan element, and said back-restelement in the second prone position is superposed over the seat-panelement. Advantageously, therefore neither the seat-pan element nor thefirst seat surface of the back-rest element forms part of the bedsurface in the bed configuration and may therefore be upholstered withmaterials especially suitable for use on a seat. Similarly the secondbed surface of the back-rest is not used to form part of the seat in theseat configuration, and accordingly said bed surface may be upholsteredin a manner especially suitable for use as a bed. Moreover, thematerials used to upholster the seat elements used respectively in theseat configuration and bed configuration may be differently colouredand/or textured and/or patterned from one another so as to create afirst ambience or a “mood” in an aircraft cabin when all or a majorityof such passenger assemblies according to the present invention areconfigured in one of said configurations, and second different ambienceor “mood” when all or a majority of the assemblies are configured in theother configuration. Said one face of the back-rest element may carry alayer of foam padding having a contoured first surface that is adaptedto form a back-rest or part of a back-rest of a seat, and the other facemay carry a layer of foam padding having a substantially flat secondsurface that is adapted to form part of the bed.

Said seat conversion sub-mechanism may be adapted to control movement ofthe seat-pan element such that as the back-rest element is moved fromthe first upright position to the second prone position said seat-panelement is caused to move downwardly relative to the supportingstructure. Thus, the bed surface of the seat assembly may be provided ata relatively low-level off the floor of the vehicle to make it easy fora passenger to climb in to and out of the bed.

Preferably, suitable motor means are provided for automatically movingthe back-rest element between the upright and prone positions anduser-operable control means are provided for controlling operation ofthe motor means.

Preferably said seat movement mechanism further comprises a seatreclining sub-mechanism which is adapted to allow said seat to beselectively reclined from an upright position to a fully reclinedposition, said seat reclining mechanism being adapted to controlmovement of the back-rest element such that as the seat is reclined fromthe upright position to the fully reclined position, said back-restelement is rocked rearwardly from the first upright position to a thirdfully reclined position. Said seat reclining sub-mechanism mayadvantageously be further adapted to control movement of said seat-panelement such that as the back-rest element is rocked rearwardly from thefirst upright position to the third fully reclined position saidseat-pan element is caused to tilt rearwardly. Thus, in the fullyreclined position, the back-rest element and seat-pan element may berespectively oriented to provide an ergonomically comfortable sittingposition for a passenger using the seat assembly. Both the recliningaction of the back-rest element and the tilting action of the seat-panelement may be motorised under the control of said user-operable controlmeans.

Preferably, one or more of said auxiliary accommodation elements arepositioned or deployable to be positioned forwardly or rearwardly of theseat. In some embodiments, one or more of said auxiliary accommodationelements may comprise a foot-rest positioned or deployable to bepositioned forwardly of said seat, and in said second position thesecond bed surface of the back-rest element may be disposedsubstantially coplanarly and contiguously with said foot-rest.

One or more of said auxiliary elements may comprise a fixed, rearextension surface positioned rearwardly of the seat. In someembodiments, said seat assembly may further comprise a movable infillelement, and said seat conversion sub-mechanism may be adapted to allowmovement of said infill element between a lower, stowed position and araised, deployed position in which said infill element extendssubstantially coplanarly and contiguously with said second surface ofsaid back-rest element in said second prone position and said rearextension surface, thereby to form a substantially flat, extended bedsurface. Said seat conversion sub-mechanism may be further adapted tocontrol movement of said infill element such that said infill element iscaused to moved from said stowed position to said deployed position whenthe back-rest element is moved from said first upright position to saidsecond prone position. Said infill element may be pivotably connected tothe lower end of the back-rest element, such that as the back-restelement is moved from the first position to the second position, theinfill element is caused to move from the stowed position to thedeployed position.

Said seat conversion sub-mechanism may comprise a seat holding devicethat is pivotably connected to the supporting structure for rockingmovement between a first seat position and second bed position. Saidback-rest element may be mounted on the holding device, such thatback-rest element can be pivoted from the first upright position to thesecond prone position by rocking the holding device from said firstposition to said second position, and releasable locking means may beprovided for selectively locking the holding device in the first andsecond positions. In some embodiments, said seat holding device maycomprise two opposing rocker plates. Said rocker plates may beinterconnected by one or more torque tubes.

Said seat-pan element may be pivotably mounted on the holding device,the arrangement being such that when the holding device is rocked fromthe first position to the second position, the seat-pan element iscaused to move downwardly from an upper deployed position to a lowerstowed position and the back-rest elements is caused to rock forwardlyover the seat-pan element such that in the second prone position, theback-rest element overlays the seat-pan element. The seat-pan elementmay comprise a front end and a rear end relative to the back-restelement, and the seat-pan element may be pivoted to the holding deviceat or towards said rear end.

Conveniently, the seat movement mechanism further comprises a seat-pansupporting device for supporting the front end of the seat-pan element.Said seat-pan supporting device may comprise a slideway disposed beneaththe seat-pan element, a leg member having two opposing ends, one of saidends being pivotably connected to the front end of the seat-pan element,the other end being slidably engaged in said slideway, and a drag-strutconnecting the other end of the leg member to the holding device, thearrangement being such that as the holding device is rocked from thefirst position to the second position, the drag-strut is moved to causeor allow said other end of leg-member to slide in the slideway, theslideway having a profile such that as the holding device moves from thefirst position to the second position, the leg member is moveddownwardly, thereby causing or allowing the front end of the seat-panelement to move progressively downwardly. Said leg member may be pivotedto the seat-pan element at said one end and pivoted to said slideway atsaid other end. In some embodiments, the front end of the seat-panelement may be supported by two leg-members, each leg-member beingslidably engaged in a respective slideway juxtaposed a respectivelateral side of the seat.

Preferably, the seat movement mechanism further comprises a seatreclining sub-mechanism adapted to allow said seat element to beselectively moved between an upright position and a fully reclinedposition, when said holding device is disposed in the first seatposition.

Said seat reclining sub-mechanism may comprise a curvilinear trackattached to or formed in the holding device and having two opposingtrack-ends and a plurality of spaced track followers attached to saidback-rest element, said track-followers being adapted to engage in andslide along the track, the track being configured such that as thetrack-followers slide along the track from one end to the other, theback-rest element, is caused to rock progressively rearwardly from thefirst upright position to a third fully reclined position. Said seatreclining sub-mechanism may further comprise a selectively operablebi-directional driving means for translationally moving said back-restelement relative to the holding device, the arrangement being suchoperation of said driving means causes the track-followers to slidealong the curvilinear track, thereby causing the back-rest element torock progressively between said first and third positions.

Advantageously, the driving means may comprise a linear actuatorconnected between the back-rest element and said holding device. Alinear actuator such, for example, as a linear screw or ball screw maybe stopped at any intermediate position between the first and thirdpositions, thereby allowing the back-rest element to be reclinedcontinuously between the first and third positions and to be stopped atany desired intermediate position.

In some embodiments, said linear actuator may comprise a linear screw orball screw fixedly secured to the holding device, a screw-engagingdevice pivotably connected to the back-rest element and a selectivelyoperable bi-directional motor carried by said holding device forrotatably driving the linear or ball screw. Said seat-pan element mayhave a front end and rear end relative to the back-rest element, andsaid linear actuator may be pivotably connected between the holdingdevice and the seat element, said linear actuator being attached to theseat-pan element at or towards said rear end for driving said seat-panelement progressively downwards relative to the supporting structurefrom a first upper position when the back-rest element is in said firstupright position to a second lower position when the back-rest elementis in said third fully reclined position, and said seat movementmechanism may further comprise a seat-pan supporting device forsupporting the front end of the seat-pan element as the rear end of theseat-pan element is driven downwardly, thereby causing the seat-pan totilt progressively rearwardly as the back-rest element rocks rearwardly.Thus, in the upright position, the back-rest element may be orientedsubstantially upright and the seat-pan element may be disposed generallyhorizontally. In the fully reclined position, the back-rest element isrocked rearwardly relative to the upright position, and the seat-panelement is tilted rearwardly relative to the upright position to form acomfortable lounge seat position. Preferably, the profile of thecurvilinear track, the length and position of the linear actuator, thepositions of the pivots between the linear actuator and the back-restand seat-pan elements and the configuration of the seat-pan supportingdevice are such that as the seat is progressively reclined from theupright position to the fully reclined position, it moves through aseries of predetermined, ergonomically comfortable seating positions.Intermediate said predetermined positions, the profile of thecurvilinear track, etc., may be determined by interpolation. In someembodiments, the linear actuator may be connected to the back-restelement through a lost motion device to allow a small degree of relativetranslational movement between the seat-pan and back-rest elements inorder to allow the back-rest and seat-pan elements to adopt theaforesaid ergonomically comfortable positions.

Said seat conversion sub-mechanism may comprise a selectively operablebi-directional actuator for locking said holding device between saidfirst seat position and said second bed position. Said actuator maycomprise a four-bar double-rocker linkage, said linkage comprising arocker and coupler link connected intermediate said holding device andsaid rocker, and selectively operable bi-directional rotary drive meansfor operating said rocker, the arrangement being such that operation ofthe rocker causes rocking of said holding device between said first andsecond positions. Said rotary drive means may comprise a motor, aworm-gear and a worm-wheel, wherein the worm-wheel is fixedly secured tothe rocker. A worm-gear/worm-wheel device is a non-reversible device,and advantageously, therefore, undue forces applied to the holdingdevice, for example, in the event of a heavy passenger sitting heavilyinto the seat, are not transmitted through the worm-gear/worm-wheeldevice to the motor. Furthermore, the rotary drive means are locked insaid first and second positions.

However, in order to allow the holding device to be rocked manually whendesired between said first and second positions, for example, in theevent of a failure of said motor or of the power supply in an aircraftcabin, the worm-gear may be disengagable from the worm-wheel.

Said actuator may be attached to the supporting structure of the seatassembly beneath said seat elements. Said holding device may comprisetwo spaced side members disposed respectively to opposing sides of theback-rest element. Said coupler link may be connected to the sidemembers below the pivot point between the holding device and saidsupporting structure.

The present embodiment thus provides a passenger seat assembly for useon a vehicle, particularly an aircraft, in which a back-rest element ismounted on a supporting structure such that it can be reclinedrearwardly from an upright position to a reclined position for passengercomfort and can be pivoted forwardly to a substantially horizontal proneposition over the top of a seat-pan element. The seat-pan element and afirst surface of the back-rest element are upholstered in a mannersuitable for use as a seat. The second reverse surface of the back-restelement however is adapted for use as a bed surface. The seat maycomprise one, and preferably two, fixed or deployable the auxiliaryextension surfaces behind and/or in front of the seat, and the back-restelement is pivoted to the support structure such that, when pivoted tothe second prone position, it meets one of the extension surfaces toform a substantially continuous surface therewith. A moveable infillelement may be provided to fill-in the space between the back-restelement and the other extension surface where provided. The seatassembly of the present invention can thus be converted from a seat intoa bed which is capable of accommodating even tall passengers.

Advantageously, the seat assembly of the invention may be oriented at anangle of between 35 and 55°, preferably 40 to 50°, relative to thelongitudinal axis of an aircraft cabin such that an extension surfacebehind the back-rest element extends into a recess defined by a typicalconcave aircraft cabin interior wall. Whilst the area of the cabinjuxtaposed the concave cabin wall is not suitable, and has insufficientheadroom, to accommodate the back-rest element in the upright position,it can be used in accordance with the present invention to accommodatethe rear extension surface which forms part of the bed surface in thebed configuration. The is extension surface(s), infill element andsecond surface of the back-rest element are preferably upholstered withfoam padding or any equivalent material specifically for use as a bed.Thus, the bed surface of the seat assembly of the present invention mayhave a substantially flat surface which is oriented substantiallyhorizontally when deployed.

It will further be appreciated that when the seat assembly is arrangedin the seat configuration, with the back-rest element upright, the rearextension surface behind the seat is substantially concealed and forms auseful storage space. Conveniently, the storage space can be used forstoring bedding materials which are required only when the seat assemblyis converted into the bed configuration. For example, the storage spacedefined by the rear extension surface behind the back-rest element canbe used for storing a duvet and/or a blanket and one or more pillows.Advantageously, such bedding materials may be concealed when the seatassembly is in the seat configuration, giving the cabin an overall tidyappearance. When the seat assembly is converted into the bedconfiguration, the back-rest element is rocked forwardly over the top ofthe seat-pan element to reveal the rear extension surface and to alloweasy access to the bedding materials stored on the rear extensionsurface which can be manually deployed on the bed surface.

According to yet another embodiment of the present invention there isprovided a recliner seat assembly, particularly for use on a vehiclesuch, for example, as an aircraft, comprising a fixed supporting portionadapted for supporting the assembly of a floor of the vehicle, areclinable seat portion comprising a seat-pan and a back-rest and seatconnecting means adapted for connecting said seat portion to saidsupporting portion, said connecting means including a seat recliningmechanism adapted for allowing and controlling movement of said seatportion between a first upright position and a second fully reclinedposition and selectively operable, bi-directional motor means adaptedfor driving said seat portion between said first and second position;wherein said seat reclining mechanism comprises a non-reversible linearactuator connected between said motor means and said seat portion.

Said non-reversible linear actuator may comprise a lead screw drive or aball screw drive or any other, equivalent, non-reversible device. Theuse of such a non-reversible actuator for driving the seat portionbetween the first upright and second fully reclined positions has theadvantage that unduly strong or sudden forces applied to the seatportion are not transmitted to the motor, thereby reducing the risk ofdamage to the motor and thus prolonging its life. For example, in theevent that a heavy passenger drops suddenly into his or her seatportion, thus applying a sudden, strong force to the seat portion, thatstrong force is not transmitted through the non-reversible linearactuator to the motor means.

The linear actuator may comprise a linear screw or ball screw attachedto one of said supporting portion (or a part connected thereto) and saidseat portion and a screw-engaging device attached to the other of saidseat portion and said supporting portion (or a part connected thereto).In some embodiments, the linear actuator may be connected to theseat-pan for driving the seat-pan along a predetermined linear pathbetween a first position and a second position relative to thesupporting portion.

Said seat-pan may have a front end a rear end relative to the back-rest,and the linear actuator may be pivotably connected to the seat-pan at ortowards the rear end and may be arranged for driving the rear end of theseat-pan downwardly as its moves from the first position to the secondposition. Said seat reclining mechanism may further comprise asupporting device for supporting the front end of the seat-pan as therear end of the seat-pan is driven downwardly, thereby causes theseat-pan to tilt rearwardly as the back-rest rocks rearwardly.

The linear actuator may alternatively or additionally be connected tothe back-rest for driving the back-rest translationally between a firstupright position and a second reclined position. Said seat recliningmechanism may further comprise a guiding device for rocking saidback-rest progressively rearwardly relative to the supporting portion asthe back-rest is moved from the first upright position to the secondfully reclined position. Said guiding device may comprise a curvilineartrack attached to the supporting portion or a part connected thereto anda plurality of spaced track-followers attached to the back-rest, saidtrack-followers being adapted to engage in and slide along said track.

Advantageously, the linear actuator may be pivotably connected to theseat-pan and may be pivotably connected to the back-rest through alost-motion device to allow relative pivoting and translational movementbetween the seat-pan and the back-rest in order to allow a degree offreedom of movement between the back-rest and seat-pan to allow thoseseat components to adopt a plurality of relative, predetermined,ergonomically comfortable positions.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention there is provided aseat having a reclinable back-rest, said seat comprising a fixedsupporting portion adapted for supporting the seat off the floor, a seatportion comprising a reclinable back-rest and seat connecting meansadapted for connecting said seat portion to said supporting portion,said connecting means including back-rest reclining mechanism adaptedfor allowing and controlling movement of the back-rest between a firstupright position and a second fully reclined position; wherein saidback-rest comprises a first lower back-rest member having an upper endand a second upper back-rest member that is superposed on said back-restmember and is pivotably connected at or towards the upper end thereof insuch a manner as to transmit translational movement therebetween, andwherein said back-rest reclining mechanism comprises first and secondelongate guide tracks attached to the supporting portion or a partconnected thereto, said first track having two opposing track-ends, aplurality of first spaced track-engaging follower members attached tothe first back-rest member and adapted to engage and slide in first saidtrack and a second track-engaging follower member attached to the secondback-rest member or a part connected thereto and adapted to engage andslide in said second track, said first track being curvilinear such thatas the first track-engaging follower members slide along the first trackfrom one end to the other, the back-rest member is caused to rockprogressively relative to the supporting portion between the firstupright position and the second fully reclined position, and said secondtrack having a profile such that as said second track-engaging followermember is caused to slide along said second track, the second back-restmember is caused to rock progressively with respect to the firstback-rest member.

Advantageously therefore, the upper and lower back-rest members may havedifferent relative dispositions in the upright and fully reclinedpositions. Furthermore, the relative dispositions of the upper and lowerback-rest members may be adjusted continuously between the upright andfully reclined positions. Preferably, in the first upright position, theupper and lower back-rest members are disposed substantially co-planarlyto one another to form a generally flat back-rest surface. In the secondfully reclined position, the upper and lower back-rest members maysubtend an obtuse angle such that the lower back-rest member is inclinedat a greater angle to the vertical than the upper back-rest member. Thelower back-rest member may thus form a lumbar support for a person usingthe seat.

Said back-rest reclining mechanism may comprise a rocker lever havingtwo arms which subtend an obtuse angle, which rocker lever is pivoted tothe first back-rest member at a point intermediate said two arms, one ofsaid arms carrying said second track-engaging follower member, and aconnecting lever having two opposite ends, one of said ends beingpivoted to the other arm of said rocker lever and the other end beingfixedly secured to the second back-rest member; the arrangement beingsuch that as the second follower member is caused to slide along saidsecond track, the rocker lever is caused to rock about its pivot to thefirst back-rest member, thereby causing said connecting lever to pivotabout its pivot to the other arm of the rocker lever, thereby causingthe second back-rest member to pivot about its pivot to the firstback-rest member. Said back-rest reclining mechanism may furthercomprise means for limiting movement of the rocker lever and/orconnecting lever.

Said seat connecting means may further comprise a selectively operablebi-directional linear actuator connected between the supporting portionor a part connected thereto and said back-rest for moving the back-resttranslationally relative to the supporting portion, the arrangementbeing such that as the back-rest is caused to move translationallyrelative to the supporting portion, the first follower members on thefirst back-rest member are caused to slide progressively along the firsttrack, thereby causing the back-rest to rock progressively between thefirst upright and second fully reclined positions.

Said seat portion generally comprises a seat-pan. Said linear actuatormay be connected to the seat-pan for moving said seat-pan along apredetermined linear path from between a first position and secondposition. Said linear actuator may be pivotably connected to theseat-pan. Advantageously, the linear actuator may be pivotably coupledto the back-rest by a lost motion device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Following is a description by way of example only with reference to theaccompanying drawings of embodiments of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional, schematic plan view of a front portion of anaircraft fuselage showing a seating system in accordance with thepresent invention comprising a plurality of individual seat units.

FIG. 1A is an enlarged view of part of FIG. 1 showing three adjacentseat units.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the three adjacent seat units of FIG. 1A.In FIG. 2, one of the seat units is shown in an upright seatingconfiguration, another is shown in a reclined seating configuration, andthe third is shown in a bed configuration.

FIG. 2A shows a portion of a supporting structure of an individual seatunit of the kind shown in FIG. 2, with the movable seat elementsremoved.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side elevation of a first passenger seat assemblyfor a vehicle in accordance with the present invention, shown in anupright seating configuration.

FIG. 4 is another schematic side elevation of the first passenger seatassembly of FIG. 3, shown in a fully reclined seating configuration.

FIG. 5 is yet another schematic side elevation of the first seatassembly of FIGS. 3 and 4, shown in a bed configuration.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of part of the first seat assembly of FIGS.3 to 5 in the upright seating configuration, with the seat upholsteryremoved.

FIG. 6A is a side elevation of a back-rest component forming part of thefirst seat assembly of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6B is an isometric view of the back-rest component of FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is another isometric view of the part of the first seat assemblyshown in FIG. 6, with the seat assembly in the fully reclined seatingconfiguration.

FIG. 8 is yet another isometric view of the part of the first seatassembly of FIGS. 6 and 7, with the seat assembly in the bedconfiguration.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of part of a seat movement mechanism of thefirst seat assembly of FIGS. 3 to 8, shown in the bed configuration.

FIG. 10 is a side elevation of the part of the seat movement mechanismof FIG. 9, shown in the seating configuration.

FIG. 11 is another side elevation of the part of the seat movementmechanism of FIGS. 9 and 10, shown in the bed configuration.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged isometric view of part of the seat movementmechanism of FIGS. 9 to 11.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of part of a seat reclining sub-mechanismof the first seat assembly of FIGS. 3 to 8.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of part of a seat conversion sub-mechanismof the first seat assembly of FIGS. 3 to 8, shown in the bedconfiguration.

FIG. 15 is another isometric view of the part of the seat conversionsub-mechanism of FIG. 14, shown in the seat configuration with aworm-screw removed from a corresponding worm-gear to allow manualmovement of the seat conversion sub-mechanism between the seat and bedconfigurations.

FIG. 16 is an enlarged, sectional side elevation of part of the seatconversion sub-mechanism of FIGS. 14 and 15.

FIG. 17 is a sectional, schematic plan view of another seating system inaccordance with the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an isometric view of a passenger accommodation unit inaccordance with the present invention, shown in a seat mode.

FIG. 19 is an isometric view of the passenger accommodation unit of FIG.18 in a bed mode.

FIGS. 20A-20C show schematically in side elevation the interconversionof the passenger accommodation unit of FIGS. 18 and 19 between the bedmode and the seat mode.

FIG. 21A is a schematic, isometric view of the passenger accommodationunit of FIGS. 18 and 19, showing a passenger using the seat in the seatmode.

FIG. 21B is a schematic, isometric view of the passenger accommodationunit of FIGS. 18 and 19, showing a passenger using the seat in the bedmode.

FIG. 22 is an isometric view of an another accommodation unit inaccordance with the present invention shown in a seat mode.

FIG. 23 is an isometric view of the passenger accommodation unit of FIG.22, shown in a bed mode.

FIG. 24A is a schematic, isometric view of the passenger accommodationunit of FIGS. 22 and 23, showing a passenger using the seat in the seatmode.

FIG. 24B is a schematic, isometric view of the passenger accommodationunit of FIGS. 22 and 23, showing a passenger using the seat in the bedmode.

FIG. 25 is an isometric view of a variant of the passenger accommodationunit of FIGS. 22 and 23, which comprises a sliding seat-pan.

FIGS. 26A-26C show schematically in side elevation different positionsof the sliding seat-pan.

FIG. 27 is an isometric view showing a further variant of the passengeraccommodation unit of FIGS. 22 and 23.

FIG. 28 is a schematic, sectional plan view of the upper and lower decksof a front portion of an aircraft fuselage, showing yet another seatingsystem in accordance with the present invention as applied to the upperand main decks of a Boeing® 747-400 aircraft.

FIG. 29A is a schematic side elevation of a second passenger seatassembly according to the present invention, which seat assembly isshown in a dining position.

FIG. 29B is a schematic side elevation of the second passenger seatassembly of FIG. 29A, shown in an intermediate reclined position.

FIG. 29C is a schematic side elevation of the second passenger seatassembly of FIGS. 29A and 29B in a fully reclined position.

FIG. 30A is a schematic side elevation of the second passenger seatassembly of FIGS. 29A to 29C in another intermediate conversionposition.

FIG. 30B is a schematic side elevation of the seat assembly of FIGS. 29Ato 29C and FIG. 30A in a bed configuration.

FIG. 31 is a schematic plan view of yet another seating systemcomprising a plurality of passenger assemblies in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 32 is a schematic plan view of yet another seating systemcomprising a plurality of passenger seat assemblies according to thepresent invention.

FIG. 33A is a schematic side elevation of a third passenger seataccording to the present invention, which seat assembly is shown in aseat configuration.

FIG. 33B is a schematic side elevation of the third seat assembly ofFIG. 33A, shown in an intermediate position.

FIG. 33C is a schematic elevation of the third assembly of FIGS. 33A and33B in a bed configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A passenger aircraft generally comprises a hollow, spindle-shapedfuselage having a front end and a rear end. A front end portion 12 of atypical aircraft fuselage 10, which is disposed towards the front end11, is shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, by way of example.Said fuselage 10 defines a longitudinal aircraft axis indicated by thechain-dot-line A-A in FIG. 1 between the front and rear ends, and thefuselage 10 tapers towards the front end 11 to form a nose portion 15.

The fuselage 10 accommodates many of the functions and facilities of theaircraft, including one or more passenger accommodation cabins 20, 21.The number and size of the passenger cabins 20, 21 provided on a givenaircraft depends on the space available within the fuselage forpassenger accommodation and on the desired configuration of thepassenger accommodation. The present invention is not limited to the useof any particular shape, size or number of passenger cabins. However, inFIG. 1, which is given by way of example only, two cabins 20, 21 areshown in the front portion of the fuselage 12, a first cabin 20 beinglocated within the nose portion 15 of the aircraft, and a second cabin21 being disposed behind the first cabin 20, with a utilities area 22being provided between the two cabins 20, 21. Said utilities area 22 mayinclude a galley 23 and one or more passenger toilets 24 as shown inFIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, an aircraft passenger cabin 20, 21 is generallydefined by two opposing surface portions 26, 28 of the interior surfaceof the fuselage 10. Said opposing surface portions 26, 28, in effect,constitute opposing side walls of the cabin 20, 21. The cabin 20, 21also comprises a floor or deck 30 which is supported by suitableinfra-structure (not shown) within the fuselage and a ceiling (also notshown) that extends between the opposing side walls above the floor 30.Said opposing side walls 26, 28 are usually lined with a plurality ofpre-fabricated, composite panels to give the interior of the cabinattractive appearance and to provide thermal insulation between thecabin 20, 21 and the outside of the aircraft.

Embedded within the floor 30, the infra-structure of the fuselage 10comprises a plurality of pairs of seat tracks 32, 34 of the kind wellknown to those skilled in the art and indicated in FIG. 1 by dottedlines. Each seat track pair is substantially linear and comprises a pairof substantially parallel tracks for fixedly securing to the aircraftinfra-structure a plurality of seats or other fixtures. Generally, anaircraft passenger cabin 20, 21 comprises two outer pairs of seat tracks32, each being disposed adjacent a respective one of the two opposingcabin side walls 26, 28. Where space permits, a cabin 20, 21 may alsoinclude one or more central pairs of seat tracks 34 disposedintermediate the outer seat track pairs 32. As shown in FIG. 1, thefirst cabin 20 comprises a single central pair of seat tracks 34, whilstthe second cabin 21 comprises two juxtaposed central pairs of seattracks 34. Typically, a central seat track pair 34 extends substantiallyparallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A. Where a passenger cabin21 is positioned towards a central portion of the fuselage 10, away fromthe front and rear ends of the aircraft, such, for example, as thesecond cabin 21 in FIG. 1, the opposing side walls 26, 28 of the cabin21 extend substantially parallely to the longitudinal axis A-A of theaircraft, and the outer seat track pairs 32 follow the line of the sidewalls 26, 28 and thus also extend substantially parallely to thelongitudinal aircraft axis A-A. However, towards the nose portion 15 ofthe aircraft, the opposing side walls 26, 28 are arcuate and convergetowards the front end 11. Accordingly, in such cases, the outer seattrack pairs 32 are angled with respect to the longitudinal aircraft axisA-A to subtend an acute angle therewith.

Each cabin 20, 21 accommodates a plurality of seat units 40. As shown inFIG. 1, within each cabin 20, 21 the seat units 40 are arranged to forma plurality of columns 29 as described in more detail below. Each column29 is fixedly secured to a respective pair of seat tracks 32, 34 andextends substantially parallely thereto to define a notional column axisindicated by the lines B-B in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the firstcabin 20 comprises two columns 29 of seat units 40, each of said columns29 being fixedly secured to a respective one of the outer pairs of seattracks 32. As the outer pairs of seat tracks 29 in the first cabin 20are inclined with respective to the longitudinal axis A-A of theaircraft, the notional column axis B-B of each of the columns 29 of seatunits 40 in the first cabin also subtends an acute angle with thelongitudinal aircraft axis A-A. The second cabin 21 comprises two outercolumns 29 of seat units 40 and two mutually juxtaposed central columns29 of seat units 40. Each of the outer columns 29 is attached to arespective one of the outer pairs of seat tracks 32, and each of thecentral columns 29 is attached to a respective one of central pairs ofseat tracks 34. As described above, the central pair of seat tracks 34extends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A,and accordingly each of the central columns 29 of seat units 40 alsoextends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A.In the second cabin 21, each of the outer pairs of seat tracks 32 alsoextends substantially parallely to the longitudinal aircraft axis A-A,and accordingly each of the outer columns 29 of the second cabin 21extends substantially parallely to the aircraft axis A-A.

FIGS. 1A and 2 show three adjacent seat units 40 forming part of one ofthe columns 29 of FIG. 1. Each seat unit 40 comprises supportingstructure 42 for attaching the seat unit to the floor 30. Saidsupporting structure 42 may be fabricated in any suitable manner knownto those skilled in the art, but preferably comprises a load-bearing,aerospace grade steel sub-frame (not shown), clad with one or moreshaped composite panels. Each seat unit 40 has a front end 51, a rearend 52 and two opposing sides 53, 54. Juxtaposed the rear end 52, thesupporting structure 42 comprises a seat housing 43 as shown in FIG. 2Awhich defines a substantially cuboidal recess 44. To the rear of saidrecess 44, the supporting structure 42 defines a first, substantiallyflat, generally triangular surface 47 which, when the seat unit 40 isinstalled in a cabin 20, 21, extends generally parallely to the floor 30of the cabin 20, 21, but at a slight incline thereto, as described inmore detail below. Juxtaposed a first side 53 of the seat unit 40, thesupporting structure 42 defines a second substantially flat, generallytriangular surface 48 which is substantially co-planar with the firstsurface 47 and, in some embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 2A, may besubstantially contiguous with the first surface 47. Each of said firstand second surfaces 47, 48 is sufficiently strong to support at leastpart of the weight of a passenger. Said second surface 48 has a firstconcave lateral edge 45 which extends from a front end of the seathousing 43 outwardly and rearwardly to a point 46 intermediate the frontend of the housing 43 and the rear end 52 of the seat unit 40. Saidfirst and second surfaces 47, 48 define a substantially linear secondlateral edge 49 which extends rearwardly and inwardly from said point 46to the rear end 52 of the seat unit. Said first and second surfaces 47,48 thus extend to the rear and one side of the cuboidal recess 44 anddefine the upper extent of said recess 44. Said first and secondsurfaces 47, 48 are supported at a predetermined height off the floor 30of the cabin 20, 21 by the supporting structure 42.

At the second side 54 of the seat unit 40, the seat housing 43 comprisesan upstanding arcuate screen 60 having a convex rear portion 61 whichextends from the rear end 52 of the seat unit 40 to a rear end of thecuboidal recess 44 and a generally linear front portion 62 which extendsbetween the front and rear ends of the recess 44. Said rear convexportion 61 has a curvature in plan view as shown in FIG. 1A whichcorresponds to the curvature of the first concave lateral edge 45 of thesecond surface 48. Said screen 60 extends substantially higher than thefirst and second surfaces 47, 48 and serves as a privacy screen for apassenger using the seat unit 40, around the rear end 52 and second side54 of the seat unit 40.

Juxtaposed the front end 51 of the seat unit 40, the supportingstructure 42 comprises an ottoman which extends upwardly from the floor30 and has a substantially flat upper surface 66. Said upper surface 66is adapted to carry a cushion 67 having a thickness such that thecushion 67 is disposed substantially co-planarly with the first andsecond surfaces 47, 48. Said ottoman 65 is sufficiently strong tosupport the weight of a passenger such that the ottoman 67 can be usedas an auxiliary seat if desired. Said supporting structure 42 furthercomprises a relatively small, auxiliary privacy screen 68 around thefront end 51 of the seat unit 40.

Said cuboidal recess 44 receives a plurality of moveablepassenger-bearing elements which are connected to the supportingstructure by a seat movement mechanism described in more detail below.Said moveable passenger-bearing elements comprise a seat-pan 71 and aback-rest 72. The seat movement mechanism allows the passenger-bearingelements to be selectively configured to provide a seat for a passenger,as shown in the centre and right-hand seat units 40 of FIG. 2, or a bedas shown in the left-hand seat unit 4D of FIG. 2. In the seatconfiguration, the moveable passenger-bearing elements 71, 72 areselectively movable between an upright or dining position as shown inthe right-hand seat unit 40 of FIG. 2 and a reclined or lounge positionas shown in the centre seat unit 40 of FIG. 2.

Said moveable passenger-bearing elements 71, 72 are attached to thesupporting structure 42 through the seat movement mechanism such that,in the seat configuration, the seat-pan 71 is accommodated within thecuboidal recess 44 of the housing 43, and the back-rest 72 extendsupwardly from the recess 44 to the rear of the seat-pan 71 and extendstransversely between the first and second sides 53, 54 of the seat unit40. As perceived by a passenger using the seat unit 40, therefore, theseat unit 40 defines a notional longitudinal seat axis which extendsbetween the front and rear ends 51, 52 of the seat unit 40 and isindicated in FIG. 1A by the dashed line C-C.

In the fully upright position, the seat-pan 71 is disposed substantiallyat the same level as the first and second surfaces 47, 48 of the housing43 and is spaced rearwardly of the ottoman 65, such that the cushion 67provides a foot-rest for a passenger using the seat unit 40. In thereclined position, the back-rest 72 is reclined rearwardly relative toits position in the upright position, and the seat-pan 71 is tiltedslightly rearwardly to provide an ergonomically comfortable loungeseating position. Again, in the lounge position, the cushion 67 of theottoman 65 provides a foot-rest for the passenger.

Said back-rest 72 comprises a front surface 73 and a rear surface 74. Inthe upright and reclined positions the front surface 73 of the back-restcooperates with the seat-pan 71 to form the seat for the passenger. Inthe bed configuration, as shown in the left-hand seat unit of FIG. 2 theback-rest is rocked forwardly relative to the seat unit and is partlyaccommodated within the cuboidal recess 44 such that the rear surface 74of the back-rest 72 is substantially co-planar with the first and secondsurfaces 47, 48 and with the cushion 67 of the ottoman 65. The rearsurface 74 of the back-rest 72 is also substantially continuous with thesecond surface 48 and cushion 67 in the bed configuration. The seatmovement mechanism includes a moveable infill element 76, as shown inFIG. 1A, which is moved from a stowed position to a deployed positionwhen the seat is converted from the seat configuration to the bedconfiguration. In the bed configuration, the infill element 76 isdisposed intermediate and substantially co-planarly and contiguouslywith the rear surface 74 of the back-rest 72 and said first surface 74.In the bed configuration, the seat unit 40 thus provides an extended bedsurface for the passenger, the bed surface being extended rearwardly ofthe seat by the first surface 47, laterally of the seat by the secondsurface 48 and forwardly of the seat by the cushion 67 of the ottoman65.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 1A, the seat units 40 within each column29 are attached to the respective pair of seat tracks 32, 34 such thatthe notional longitudinal seat axis C-C of each seat unit 40 subtends anacute angle with the notional longitudinal column axis B-B, and the seatunits 40 are arranged side-by-side in longitudinally off-set relation toeach other such that each seat unit 40 defines a generally triangular ortrapezoidal space 36 to the rear of each seat 71,72. Said seat units 40are arranged within the column 29 such that the convex portion 61 of theprivacy screen 60 of one seat unit 40 abuts substantially contiguouslyon the first concave lateral edge 53 of another adjacent seat unit 40.As best seen in FIG. 1A, the space 36 to the rear of the seat 71, 72 ofeach seat unit 40 is thus occupied by the first surface 47 of one seatand the second surface 48 of the other adjacent seat, said first andsecond surfaces 47, 48 of the one and other seat units 40 respectivelybeing divided from one another by the privacy screen 60 of the one seatunit 40. The space 36 behind each seat 71, 72 is thus used to extend thelength of the bed surface 47, 48, 67, 74, 76 provided by the seat unit40 in the bed configuration rearwardly of the seat 71, 72 into saidspace 36.

The acute angle at which the seat units 40 within a column 29 areoriented relative to the notional column axis B-B depends on the desiredcabin layout. However, typically, the acute angle subtended by thenotional seat axis C-C of each seat unit 40 and the column axis B-B isin the range of 30° to 60°, preferably 40° to 50°, for example about 40°as shown in FIG. 1. The seat units 40 may be oriented to face inwardlyor outwardly with respect to the cabin 20, 21. In the first cabin 20 ofFIG. 1, it can be seen that each of the outer columns 29 is disposedadjacent a respective of one of the opposing side walls 26, 28, and theseat units 40 within each column 29 face inwardly. The second lateraledges 49 of the seat units 40 in each column 29 are substantiallyco-linear to form an elongate column outer edge which extends juxtaposedthe side wall 26, 28 of the cabin 20. As a result of the curvature ofthe side walls 26, 28 in the first cabin 20, there is a small gap 27between the outer column edge and each side wall 26, 28, and usually thegap 27 is filled using suitable infill panels of the kind well known tothose skilled in the art.

In the second cabin 21, the seat units 40 of each outer column 29 alsoface inwardly and forwardly relative to the cabin 21. It will be seenfrom FIG. 1 that as the side walls 26, 28 of the second cabin 21 aresubstantially less curved than the side walls 26, 28 of the first cabin20, the second edges 49 of the seat units 40 are disposed closer to thesidewalls 26, 28 than in the first cabin 20 and thus there are no orsubstantially no gaps between the outer column edges of the seat unitsand the opposing cabin side walls 26, 28. The seat units 40 of the twocentral columns 29 of the second cabin 21 also face forwardly, but areoriented to face outwardly with respect to the cabin 21. The two centralcolumns 29 are arranged back-to-back such that the second linear edge 49of each seat unit 40 in one central column 29 is disposed substantiallycontiguous a corresponding second linear edge 49 of another seat unit 40in the other central column 29. As with the columns 29 of the firstcabin 20, however, the seat units 40 of the columns 29 of the secondcabin 21 are arranged such that to the rear of each seat 71, 72, theseat unit 40 defines a generally triangular or trapezoidal space 36which is occupied by the first surface 47 of one seat unit 40 and thesecond surface 48 of another adjacent seat unit 40.

A privacy screen may be provided between the two central columns 29 saidscreen may comprise a movable portion member intermediate each pair ofcorresponding seats 40 in the two central columns 29, said positionmember being selectively movable automatically between a deployedposition, in which said position member effectively forms a privacyshield between the two seats 40 of the pair, and a stowed and retractedposition, in which the position member is removed, such that passengersusing the two corresponding seats do not have any boundaries betweenthem in either the bed mode or the seat mode.

It has been found that the seating system in accordance with the presentinvention allows each seat unit 40, in the bed configuration, to providea bed surface for a passenger having a length of at least 80 inches(2.032 meters) with a pitch between adjacent seat units 40 within eachcolumn 29 of 50 to 60 inches (1.27 to 1.52 meters). In some cases, it ispossible to provide an overall bed length in the bed configuration inexcess of 85 inches (2.16 meters) with such a pitch.

It will be appreciated that when the movable passenger-bearing elements71, 72 of a seat unit 40 in accordance with the present invention aredisposed in a dining or lounge seat configuration as shown in FIG. 2,the space 36 to the rear of the seat 71, 72 is concealed by the uprightor reclined back-rest 72. The space 36 thus provides a useful storagespace which, in particular, can be used for storing bedding materialssuch as pillows, blankets, duvets and the like when the seat unit 40 isbeing used as a seat. Such bedding materials can be stored within thespace 36 behind the seat 71, 72 such that the bedding materials aresupported by the first surface 47 to the rear of the seat 71, 72. When apassenger wishes to go to sleep, the moveable passenger-bearing elements71, 72, 76 can be selectively moved to the bed configuration as shown inFIG. 2, thus exposing the space 36 to the rear of the seat 71, 72allowing easy access to bedding materials stowed therein. With themoveable seat elements 71, 72, 76 in the bed configuration, the extendedbed surface provided by the seat unit 40 can be manually made-up withthe bedding materials by a passenger or flight attendant to provide afully made bed for the passenger.

In the seat configuration, a first passenger using the seat unit can siton the seat formed by the seat-pan 71 and back-rest 72, and a secondpassenger who might wish to visit the first passenger can sit on theauxiliary seat provided by the ottoman 65.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the second surface 48 of the seat unit 40 carries ahinged arm rest 75 which is hinged to the supporting structure 42 forswinging movement in the plane of the second surface 48 between a stowedposition as shown in FIG. 1A in which the arm rest 75 extendssubstantially parallely to the second linear edge 49 and a deployedposition (not shown) in which the arm rest 75 extends substantiallyparallely to the notional seat axis C-C between the front and rear endsof the cuboidal recess 44 juxtaposed the seat formed by the seat-pan 71and back-rest 72, so that a passenger using the seat may rest one of hisor her arms on the arm rest 75. Alternatively, the arm rest 75 may bestored within a recess (not shown) formed in said surface 48 and meansmay be provided for translationally moving the arm-rest verticallybetween a stored position, in which said arm rest is accommodated withinsaid recess, flush with said head surface 48, and a deployed position inwhich said arm-rest protrudes from the recess to provide an arm rest foran occupant of the seat. This alternative has the advantage that in thestored position, the arm-rest does not impinge on the available surfacearea provided by the head surface 48. Another fixed arm rest (not shown)may be carried by the screen 60.

The seating system in accordance with the present invention thuscomprises a plurality of self-contained seat units 40 which each provideindividual seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger. Withineach column 29, it will be seen that the screen 60 to the second side 54of one seat unit 40 and the screen 60 of another adjacent seat unit 40disposed juxtaposed the first side 53 of the one seat unit 40 define apartially enclosed, private space for a passenger using the one seatunit 40.

Each seat unit 40 in accordance with the present invention comprises aseat housing 43 and an ottoman 65, which ottoman 65 is spaced forwardlyof the seat housing 43. However, the seat units 40 of the presentinvention as described above may be conveniently manufactured byintegrating the seat housing 43 of one seat unit 40 with the ottoman 65of another adjacent seat unit 40. Thus, the supporting structure 42forming the seat housing 43 of the one seat unit 40 may be integral withthe supporting structure 42 forming the ottoman 65 of the other adjacentseat unit 40. Thus, the seating system in accordance with the presentinvention may be constituted by a plurality of seat modules 80 as shownin FIG. 1A, each module 80 comprising the seat housing 43 and moveableseat elements 71, 72, 76 of one seat unit 40 and the ottoman 65 ofanother adjacent seat unit 40. By attaching a plurality of said seatmodules 80 to a pair of seat tracks 32, 34 in a cabin 20, 21, aplurality of seat units 40 can be assembled, each unit 40 comprising theseat housing 43 of one module and the ottoman 65 of another adjacentmodule 80.

Each seat module 80 is attached to a seat track pair 32, 34 at threepoints as shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A. In particular, each seat module 80 isattached to one seat track of the pair 32, 34 at two spaced points 38and to the other seat track of the pair 32, 34 at a single point 39.Each seat module 80, may be attached directly to the seat track pair 32,34 or, alternatively, the supporting structure 42 of each module 80 maycomprise a plinth or palette (not shown), which plinth or palette isattached to the seat tracks 32, 34. In either case, the supportingstructure 42 or plinth or palette is attached to the seat tracks 32, 34using foot fixings of the kind well known to those skilled in the art.The use of a three-point fixing 38, 39 for attaching a seat module 80 toa seat track pair 32, 34 has been found to be advantageous over aconventional four-point fixing. In particular, it has been found that athree-point fixing allows a greater degree of flexibility between thetwo seat tracks of a pair 32, 34, thus allowing the two seat tracks tomove or flex relative to one another in the event of an emergencylanding or crash with a reduced risk of the seat modules 80 becomingdetached from the seat tracks 32, 34.

The configuration of each seat unit 40, and the arrangement of the seatunits 40 within a cabin in accordance with the present invention, allowsthe occupant of each seat unit 40 easily to gain access to the seat unit40 from the aisle and vice versa.

A first passenger seat assembly in accordance with the present inventionis shown in FIGS. 3 to 5. Said first passenger seat assembly cansuitably be used to form a seat unit 40 of the seating system describedabove with reference to FIGS. 1, 1A, 2 and 2A. However, those skilled inthe art will appreciate that the seating system in accordance with thepresent invention is not limited to the use of the seat assembly ofFIGS. 3 to 5. Generally the seating system described above can compriseany seat unit 40 which defines a notional, longitudinal seat axis C-Cand comprises a supporting structure 42 for supporting the seat unit offthe floor 30 of a vehicle, means 71, 72 forming or being configurablefor forming a seat comprising a seat-pan 71 and a back-rest 72 and means47, 48, 67, 74, 76, forming or being configurable for forming asubstantially flat bed, a major proportion of which bed is to disposedforwardly of the position of the seat, which bed extends rearwardlybehind the seat for extending the flat bed.

In FIGS. 3 to 5, parts of the first passenger seat assembly whichcorrespond to parts of the seat unit 40 of FIGS. 1, 1A, 2 and 2A areindicated by the same reference numerals, with the addition of apreceding numeral “1”.

The first passenger seat assembly 140 in accordance with the presentinvention has a front end 151, a rear end 152 and two opposing sides153, 154. The seat assembly 140 comprises a supporting structure 142 forfixedly securing the seat assembly 140 to seat tracks embedded in thefloor 130 of a vehicle and for supporting the seat assembly 140 off thefloor 130. Any suitable foot fixings of the kind known to those skilledin the art can be used for securing the supporting structure 142 to apair of seat tracks. Whilst the first passenger seat assembly 140 ofFIGS. 3 to 5 is particularly suitable for use on a passenger aircraft,it can also be suitably used on other forms of passenger vehicles such,for example, as trains, coaches and water-borne craft, includingpassenger ships and ferries and hovercraft.

Said supporting structure 142 comprises a seat housing 143 disposedgenerally towards the rear end 152 of the assembly 140 and an ottomanunit 165 disposed generally towards the front end 151 of the assembly140. Said seat housing 143 defines a generally rectilinear or cuboidalrecess 144 which is open at its upper end 201 and front end 202 andclosed at its rear end 203 by a substantially vertically extending rearwall 204 and at each side by two spaced opposing, substantiallyvertically extending side walls 205, 206. In FIGS. 3 to 5, only one ofthe sidewalls 205 is visible. To the rear of the recess 144, the seathousing 143 defines a substantially flat first upper surface 147, andintermediate one side of the recess 144 and one side 153 of theassembly, the housing 143 further defines a substantially flat secondupper surface 148 which is substantially coplanar, and may also besubstantially continuous, with the first surface 147. Said first andsecond upper surfaces 147, 148 are sufficiently strong to support atleast part of the weight of a passenger using the seat assembly 140.

Said ottoman unit 165 is spaced forwardly of the seat housing 143 andhas a substantially flat upper surface 166 which carries a cushion 167having a flat upper surface 169 which is substantially coplanar with thefirst and second upper surfaces 147, 148 of the seat housing 143. Saidottoman unit 165 is also sufficiently strong to support the weight of apassenger and can be used as an auxiliary seat.

Each of said side walls 205, 206 of the recess 144 carries a rotarybearing 222. Said rotary bearings 222 are aligned with one another todefine a transverse axis which extends transversely across said recess144 generally parallely to the floor surface 130, but at a slightincline thereto as described in more detail below. Said rotary bearings222 are disposed at a height above the floor surface 130 approximatelymid-way between the floor surface 130 and the first and second uppersurfaces 147, 148. Said rotary bearings 222 are also positionedgenerally rearwardly within the recess 144 towards the rear wall 204.Each of said rotary bearings 222 receives a respective,laterally-extending trunnion 221 of a seat movement mechanism 220 asshown in FIGS. 6 to 8 in which the supporting structure 142 is omittedfor clarity.

Each trunnion 221 is attached generally centrally to a substantiallyflat, outwardly-facing surface 226 of a respective, generally lenticularrocker plate 223. Each rocker plate 223 has a substantially linear firstedge 224 and an opposing arcuate second edge 225. FIGS. 9 to 11 comprisedetailed views of the rocker plates 223. Each rocker plate has an upperend 228 and lower end 229, and the two rocker plates 223 are fastenedtogether by means of a generally cylindrical, transversely extendingfirst torque tube 230 having two opposing ends 231, 232. Each end 231,231 of the torque tube 230 is connected to an inner face 227 of arespective one of the rocker plates 223 juxtaposed the lower end 229.The first torque tube 230 thus serves to unite the two rocker plates 223which define a recess 235 intermediate their respective opposing innerfaces 227. The united rocker plates 223 are thus capable of rockingmovement relative to the seat housing 143 about the trunnions 221connected to the rotary beatings 222.

The arcuate edge 225 of each rocker plate 223 is pivotably connectedtowards its tower end 229 to one end 242 of a link 241 through asuitable pin joint. The other end 243 of the link 241 is pivotablyconnected to one end 244 of a rocker arm 245. As shown in FIGS. 14 and15, the other end 246 of the rocker arm 245 is fixedly securedjuxtaposed a respective end 251, 252 of a second rotatable torque tube250. At one end 251, the second torque tube 250 is rotatably supportedwithin a hollow worm-gear casing 260. At the other end 252, the secondtorque tube 250 is rotatably mounted in a bearing 253 supported by thesecond side wall 206 of the recess 144.

Said worm-gear casing 260 has a substantially flat bottom surface 261and defines a generally cylindrical interior cavity 262 whichaccommodates the bearing for the one end 251 of the second torque tube250. Said one end 251 of the second torque tube 250 is fixedly securedcoaxially to a worm-gear 271 which is accommodated within said cavity262. The casing 260 has an upper wall 263 which is partially cut-away asshown at 264 to expose the teeth of the worm-gear 271. Said casing 260is fixedly secured to the supporting structure 142 of the first seatassembly 140 within a recess (not shown) within the first side wall 205,beneath the second upper surface 148 at the rear of said recess 144,juxtaposed the rear wall 204.

The upper wall 263 of said casing 260 is formed with a generallyupwardly extending lug 265, and a generally cylindrical worm-screwhousing 273 is hinged to said lug 265 for movement between an engagedposition as shown in FIG. 14 and disengaged position as shown in FIG.15. Said worm-screw housing 273 is shaped such that in the engagedposition, the housing 273 mates with the upper wall 263 of the worm-gearcasing 260. As shown in FIG. 15, the worm-screw housing 273 is cut-awayas shown at 274 to allow the teeth of the worm-gear 271 to extend intothe interior of the worm-screw housing 273. As shown in FIG. 16, theworm-screw housing 273 accommodates a worm-screw 270 which is rotatablymounted between two opposing thrust-beatings 272. Said worm-screw 270 isrotatably coupled via a coaxial spindle 275 to an electric motor 280having a motor housing 281 which is fixedly secured to the worm-screwhousing 273. As shown in FIG. 16, the motor housing 281 is connected tothe worm-gear casing 260 through two links 282, 283 which form a“break-link” device. One of said links 282 is pivotted to the motorhousing 281 at one end 284 and to a first end of the other link 283 atthe other end 285. A second end 286 of said other link 283 is pivottedto the worm-gear casing 260. Said one link 282 is substantially largerthan the other link 283 and, in the engaged position, the three pivotpoints 284,285,286 are co-linear such that the pivot point between thesecond end of the other link 283 and the worm gear casing 260 isdisposed intermediate the pivot point 284 of the one link 282 to themotor housing 281 and the pivot point 285 between the two links 282,285, such that the worm-screw housing 273 is prevented from disengagingthe worm-gear casing 260. Said one link 282 can be selectively rotatedclockwise as shown in FIG. 16, causing the other link 283 also to rotateclockwise, “breaking” the alignment of the three pivot points 284, 285,286. The worm-screw 273 can then disengage from the worm-gear, allowingthe rocker arms 245 to rotate freely about the axis defined by saidsecond torque tube 250, the links 282, 283 serving to limit the extentto which the worm-housing 273 can be disengaged from the worm-screwcasing 260. Alternatively, instead of the break-link device, theworm-screw housing 273 could be releasably secured to the worm-gearcasing 260 by means of a removable bolt, for example.

As shown in FIG. 9, the inner face 227 of each rocker plate 223 isfabricated with an elongate, substantially linear recess 301, which issubstantially rectilinear in cross-section and extends substantiallyparallely to said first edge 224 from a lower end 302 juxtaposed thelower end 229 of the rocker plate 223 to an upper end 303 at a pointintermediate said upper and lower ends 228, 229 of the plate 223. Asshown in FIGS. 3 to 5, said elongate recess 301 accommodates a linearscrew 304 having upper and lower ends 305, 306 as shown in FIG. 13. Insome embodiments, ball screws or any other suitable, non-reversiblelinear actuator devices may be used instead of the two linear screws. Atits upper end 305, each linear screw 304 is rotatably mounted in abearing 307, which is fixedly secured to the rocker plate 223 at theupper end 303 of the recess 301. The lower end 306 of each linear screw304 is accommodated within a gear casing 310 which is fixedly secured tothe inner face 227 of the respective plate 223. (In FIG. 13, one of thegear casings 310 is omitted to reveal the detail at the lower end 306 ofthe linear screw 304). Said lower end 306 is supported by a rotarybearing 308 within the gear casing 310 and is rotatably coupled througha bevel gear 311 to a respective end 313, 314 of a rotary drive shaft312. At one end 314, the drive shaft 312 is connected through a pair ofinterengaging pinions 315, 316 to a stepper motor 318 that is mounted tothe gear casing 310 such that operation of the motor 318 causes rotationof the shaft 312 and thus rotation of the linear screws 304.

Each linear screw 304 carries a nut 320 comprising a shaped body 321.Said body 321 is generally T-shaped in cross section and comprises asubstantially rectilinear slider portion 322 which is shaped to form aclose, but free-sliding fit within the linear recess 301 formed in theinner face 227 of the respective rocker plate 223. Said slider portion322 accommodates the linear screw 304 therein and comprises internalformations (not shown) for engaging the screw 304. Said body 321 furthercomprises a pair of opposing wing portions 324, each of which has asubstantially flat outer face 325, the outer faces 325 of the two wingportions 324 being substantially co-planar to one another. The body 321has a substantially flat inner face 326. With the slider portion 322inserted in the linear recess 301 of the respective rocker plate 223,the outer faces 325 of the wing portions 324 lie closely adjacent theinner face 227 of the rocker plate 223.

With reference to FIG. 6, each of said nuts 320 is connected throughgimbal joint 329 to a respective lateral side edge 331, 332 of astructural diaphragm 330 forming part of a seat-pan element 171 which isdisposed in the recess 235 intermediate the two opposing rocker plates223. Said diaphragm 330 may comprise a light-weight, moulded compositepanel or a perferated aluminium sheet. Said seat-pan element 171 has arear end 333 and a forward end 334, said gimbal joints 329 being fittedto the diaphragm 330 towards said rear end 333 to allow the front end334 of the seat-pan element 171 to be tilted upwards or downwardsrelative to the rear end 333 which moves less relative to the rockerplates 223. Said seat-pan element 171 includes suitable cushioning andupholstery which is supported by the diaphragm 330 to provide acomfortable seating surface for a passenger using the seat assembly 140.(The cushioning and upholstery is omitted in FIGS. 6 to 8 for clarity).

Juxtaposed the front end 334, the diaphragm 330 is pivotably connectedto an upper end 341 of a depending lever 342. The other end 343 of thelever 342 is pivotably connected to a slider 345 which is slidablyretained in an elongate, substantially linear slideway 350 that isfixedly secured to a respective one of the side walls 205, 206 of theseat housing 143 within said recess 144. As best seen in FIG. 3, eachslideway 350 is oriented at an angle relative to the floor surface 130such that the slideway 350 extends forwardly and upwardly within therecess 144 between an upper end 351 and a lower end 352. Said other end343 of the lever 342 is also pivotably connected to a lower end 354 of adrag strut 355, said drag strut 355 having an upper end 356 that ispivotably connected to the first linear edge 224 of the respectiverocker plate 223 juxtaposed the lower end 229 of the rocker plate 223.

With reference to FIG. 9, the inner face 227 of each rocker plate 223 isalso formed with an elongate arcuate track 360 which extends juxtaposedthe second arcuate edge 225 between an upper end 361 juxtaposed theupper end 228 of the plate 223 and a lower end 362 juxtaposed the lowerend 229 of the plate 223. Intermediate the linear recess 301 and arcuatetrack 360, the Inner face 227 of each plate 223 is also formed with ashort linear slot 365 which extends from an upper end 366 juxtaposed theupper end 361 of the track 360 to a lower end 367 juxtaposed the upperend 303 of the linear recess 301. As best seen in FIG. 3, the linearslot 365 is angled with respect to the linear edge 224 of the plate 223such that as the slot extends downwardly from the upper end 366 to thelower end 367, it extends inwardly of the plate from the linear edge 224towards the arcuate track 260. It can also be seen that the arcuatetrack 360 and linear slot 365 diverge from one another from theirrespective upper ends 361, 366 towards their respective lower ends 362,367.

The arcuate track 360 on each rocker plate 223 receives slidably twospaced friction blocks 371 that are fixedly secured to the outer surface372 of a respective lower side member 373 of a lower back-rest element374 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Said lower back rest element 374,together with an upper back-rest element described in more detail below,forms a back-rest component 172. Each lower side member 373 is generallyL-shaped having an upper end 375, a lower end 376 and a substantiallylinear rear edge 377. At said lower end 376, each lower side member 373comprises an enlarged foot portion 378 having a forwardly protrudingnose 379. Each lower side member 373 has a substantially linear frontedge 381 which extends between said upper end 375 and said enlarged footportion 378 at a slight angle relative to the rear edge 377. As shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B, one of the friction blocks 371 on each lower sidemember 373 is mounted to said outer face 372 at the lower end 376 of theside member 373 at an angle of about 45° to the rear edge 377. Saidother friction block 371 is mounted to said outer face 372 juxtaposedsaid rear edge 377 at a point intermediate said upper and lower ends375, 376. The other friction block 371 also subtends an angle with therear edge 377, but that angle is less than the angle subtended by theone friction block 371 and the rear edge 377.

Intermediate the two lower side members 373, the lower back-rest element374 comprises a substantially flat diaphragm 385 which is spacedinwardly of both said front and rear edges 377, 381 to form rear andfront lower recesses 386 and 387 respectively. Like the seat diaphragm385 may comprise a moulded composite panel or a perforated metal sheetof the kind well-known in the manufacture of aircraft seats.

The outer face 372 of each side member 373 is further formed with agenerally rectilinear, shaped cavity 390 having a peripheral side wall391. Said cavity 390 is covered by a cover plate 380 (omitted in FIGS.6A and 6B for clarity) which is fixedly secured to the outer face 372 ofthe side member 373. Said cavity 390 accommodates a generally triangularrocker lever 392 having an upper limb 393 and a lower limb 395. Therocker lever 392 is pivoted substantially centrally to the side member373 at its obtuse apex 396. The lower limb 395 is provided at itsextremity with an outwardly directed pin 397, and the upper limb 393 isformed at its extremity with a lug 398. The rocker lever 392 is thuscapable of rocking about said pivot 396 with corresponding rockingmovement of the upper and lower limbs 393, 395. Movement of the rockerlever 392 is limited by the side wall 391 of the cavity 390 such thatthe upper limb 393 can rock between one position as shown in FIGS. 6Aand 6B in which the lug 398 is disposed fully forwardly and anotherposition (not shown) in which the upper arm 393 is disposed fullyrearwardly.

The pin 397 on the lower limb 395 is slidably received in the linearslot 365 formed in the inner face 227 of the respective rocker plate223. As best seen in FIG. 3, the lower back-rest element 374 extendsupwardly of the rear end 333 of the seat-pan element 171 and is pivotedat its upper end 375 to said upper back-rest element 394. Said upperback-rest element 394 comprises two spaced upper side members 402 and asubstantially flat upper diaphragm 403 which extends between said upperside members 402. Each of said upper side members 402 has asubstantially linear rear edge 404 and a substantially linear front edge405, and said upper diaphragm 403 is spaced inwardly of both said rearand front edges 404, 405 to define front and rear upper recess 406 and407 respectively. The lower and upper front recesses 387, 407accommodate cushioning that is specifically designed to form acomfortable back-rest surface which, in conjunction with the cushioningon the seat-pan element 171, forms a dedicated seat surface for apassenger. The back-rest cushioning is upholstered to match theupholstering on the cushioning on the seat-pan element 171. Thecushioning and upholstery of the upper and lower back-rest elements havebeen omitted in FIGS. 6, 6A, 6B, 7 and 8 for clarity. The upper andlower rear recesses 386, 406 define a substantially continuous recesswhich receives a substantially flat cushion or mattress suitable forforming a bed surface. Again this is omitted in FIGS. 6, 6A, 6B, 7 and 8for clarity. In particular, however, the back-rest cushioning providedin the upper and lower front recesses 387, 407 may have a differentstyle or colour of upholstery from the rear cushion or mattress.Furthermore, the cushioning provided on the front and rear surfacesrespectively of the back-rest component may have different degrees ofresilience as appropriate for seating and bedding purposes.

Each of said upper side members 402 has an upper end 409 and a lower end411. Each upperside member 402 is pivotably connected to the upper end375 of the respective lower side member 373 at 410 intermediate saidupper and lower ends 409, 411, such that each upper side member 402extends downwardly from the pivot point 410 to form a leg portion 412having a generally U-shaped cut-out 414 at said lower end 411. SaidU-shaped cut-out 414 slidably accommodates the lug 398 formed on theupper limb 393 of the respective rocker lever 392 for transmittingrocking movement of said arm 392 to the upper side member 402. Thus,rocking movement of the rocker lever 392 about its central pivot point396 causes corresponding rocking movement of the upper back-rest element394 about the pivot point 410 between the upper and lower back-restelements.

With reference to FIG. 3, the nose 379 of each lower side member 373 isconnected through a lost motion device 420 to one of the wing portions325 on the nut 320 mounted on the linear screw 304 of the respectiverocker plate 223. Each lost motion device 420 comprises a pin attachedto the respective wing portion 325 at 328, which pin is received in ashort slot formed in the nose 379 of the lower side member 373.

With reference to FIGS. 9 to 12, the arcuate edge 225 of each rockerplate 223 is formed towards the upper end 228 with a protruding lug 431which is pivotably connected to one end 433 of an arm member 432 whicharm member 432 terminates remote from the lug 431 in another end 434.The two arm members 432 carry a transverse infill diaphragm member 440which carries a generally rectilinear in-fill cushion 442 having anupper surface 443.

Juxtaposed the lug 431, the outer face 226 of each rocker arm 223carries a small dog-leg member 450 which is pivoted to the rocker plate223 at 451 between the lug 431 and the lower end 229 of the plate 223.Said dog-leg member 450 has a first limb 452 provided with a hook 453 atits extremity and a second limb 454 provided with a cam follower 455.Each arm member 432 has an outwardly extending holding pin 456, and theouter surface 226 of each rocker plate 223 is formed with an outwardlyextending stop pin 457 which is positioned between the pivot point 451and the arcuate edge 225 of the plate 223. The dog-leg member 450 isfreely rotatable about the pivot 451, and the stop pin 457 serves tolimit clockwise rotation of the dog-leg member 450 of the plate 223 asshown in FIGS. 9 to 12. (The stop pin on the other rocker plate 223limits counter-clockwise movement of the corresponding dog-leg member450).

The cam follower 455 on the second limb 454 of the dog-leg member 450engages a cam 460 (see FIGS. 8 and 12) formed on the respective sidewall205, 206 of the recess 144 for controlling movement of the dog-legmember 450.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first seat assembly 140 as hereinbeforedescribed can be arranged in a upright seat configuration in which therocker arms 245 extend forwardly relative to the rotary shaft 50 withinthe recess 144 and the links 241 are substantially co-linear with therocker arms 245 such that the united rocker plates 223 are oriented in aseat configuration as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 in which thelinear edge 224 of each rocker plate 223 extends upwardly and rearwardlywithin the recess 144, with the arcuate tracks 360 on the two rockerplates 223 extending generally downwardly and forwardly within therecess 144. As the links 241 and rocker arms subtend an angle of 180° toform a compression strut in the seat position, any loads applied to therocker plates 223 are applied linealy to the second torque tube 250 andno rotational force is applied to the worm-gear 271. Advantageously, theseat conversion sub-mechanism of the seat assembly is capable ofwithstanding large forward forces, without the need for any additionaldisengageable mechanical coupling, such as a shoot-bolt, between theseat movement mechanism and the supporting structure. In the uprightseating configuration, the nuts 320 are disposed at the upper ends 305of their respective linear screws 304 as shown in FIG. 13, and the lowerends 343 of the levers 342 are disposed at the upper ends of theslideways 350 such that the seat-pan element 171 is disposedsubstantially horizontally within the recess 144, with the upper surfaceof the seat-pan cushioning at approximately the same level as the firstand second upper surfaces 147, 148 on the seat housing 142 and the uppersurface 169 of the cushion 167 on the ottoman 165. The friction blocks371 on the lower side members 373 of the lower back-rest element 374 aredisposed at the upper ends 361 of the arcuate tracks 360 on the rockerplates 223, and the pins 397 on the rocker levers 392 are disposed atthe upper ends 366 of the linear slots 365 on the rocker plates 223.Accordingly, the upper limbs 393 of the rocker levers 392 are disposedfully forwardly within their respective cavities 390, such that theupper back-rest element 394 is substantially co-linear with the lowerback element 373.

In the upright position of FIG. 3, the dog-leg members 450 on the rockerplates 223 are disengaged from the respective cam members 460, and thearm members 432 are disposed, as shown in FIG. 10, in a stowed positionwith the in-fill cushion 442 disposed generally beneath the first uppersurface 147 of the seat housing 143. In the upright position, thecushioning 408 on the upper and lower back-rest elements 373, 394 formsan ergonomically comfortable seat with the cushioning on the seat-panelement 171.

In the upright position, the seat defined by the seat-pan element 171and back-rest element 172 is generally suitable for dining. The ottomanunit 165 is spaced forwardly of the seat-pan element 171 and may be usedas a foot-rest for the passenger.

From the upright position of FIG. 3, the seat assembly may be reclinedto a fully reclined position as shown in FIG. 4 as follows. Uponoperation of the stepper motor 318, the linear screws 304 on the rockerplates 223 are caused to rotate. As the nuts 320 are restrained fromrotation with the linear screws 304, the nuts are driven translationallyalong the linear screws 304 towards the lower ends 302 of the recesses301 formed in the opposing inner faces 227 of the rocker plates 223. Asthe nuts 320 are driven downwardly, the rear end 333 of the seat-panelement 171 is also driven downwardly relative to the front end 334which is supported by the levers 342. The rear end 333 of the seat-panelement 171 is thus driven downwardly causing the seat-pan element totilt rearwardly about the pivot between the upper ends 341 of the levers342 and the front end 334 of the seat-pan diaphragm 330. As the linearscrews 304 extend downwardly and forwardly within the recess 144, theseat-pan element 171 is also driven forwardly, which forwards movementis accommodated by forward rocking of the levers 342 about the pivotsbetween the lower ends 343 of the levers 342 and the sliders 354 in therespective slideways 350.

The front end 334 of the seat-pan element 171 therefore moves downwardlyslightly in the recess 144, but not to the same extent as the rear end333 of the seat-pan element 171. Movement of the sliders 354 rearwardlyalong the slideway 350 is prevented by the drags struts 355 between thesliders 354 and the rocker plates 223.

Forwards and downwards movement of the nuts 320 also causescorresponding movement of the back-rest element 172 which is connectedto the nuts 320 through the lost motion devices 420 on the noses 379 ofthe lower back-rest elements 373. Movement of the back-rest component172 causes the friction blocks 371 to slide in their respective arcuatetracks 360 on the opposing inner faces 227 of the rocker plates 223 fromthe upper ends 361 of the tracks 360 towards the lower ends 362. Therelative orientation of the friction blocks 371 as described above andthe curvature of the tracks 360 have the result that, as the frictionblocks 371 slide along the tracks 360, the lower back-rest element 373is caused to rock rearwardly as shown in FIG. 4 from the uprightposition of FIG. 3 to a fully reclined position as shown in FIG. 4.

Contemporaneously, the pins 397 on the rocker levers 392 are caused toslide along the linear slots 365 on the rocker plates 223. As eachlinear slot 365 diverges from the corresponding arcuate track 360 on thesame rocker plate 223, the upper limb of each rocker lever 392 is causedto rock rearwardly in the respective cavity 390. Rearwards movement ofthe upper limbs 393 of the rocker levers 392 causes the upper sidemembers 402 of the upper back-rest element 394 to rock forwardlyrelative to the lower back-rest element 373. As the back-rest component172 is driven forwardly and downwardly by movement of the nuts 320, theupper back-rest element 394 rocks progressively further forwardsrelative to the tower back-rest element 373 until the rocker levers 392engage the side walls 391 of the respective cavities 390, preventingfurther forwards rocking of the upper back-rest element 394. Therelative positions and profiles of the recesses 301, tracks 360 andslots 365 formed on the two rocker plates 223 are carefully calculatedto ensure that as the seat reclines from the upright position of FIG. 3towards the fully reclined position of FIG. 4, the seat-pan element 171and upper and tower back-rest elements 374, 394 move through a pluralityof predetermined, ergonomically comfortable positions.

The stepper motor 318 can be controlled such that the nuts 320 can bestopped at any intermediate position between the upper and lower ends305, 306 of the linear screws 304. Thus, movement of the seat defined bythe seat-pan element 171 and upper and lower back-rest elements 374, 394can be halted in any intermediate position between the upright positionof FIG. 3 and fully reclined position of FIG. 4. The angle subtended bythe upper and lower back-rest elements 374, 394 in a reclined positionhas the effect that the lower back-rest element 374 advantageouslyprovides lumbar support for a passenger using the seat assembly 140.

The linear screws 304 are non-reversible linear actuator devices, andthus the seat assembly of the present invention has the added advantagethat forces applied to the seat-pan element 171 or back-rest component172 cannot be transmitted through the nuts 320 and linear screws 304 tothe motor 318. This has the advantage that sudden and/or strong forcesapplied to the moveable seat elements 171, 374, 394 are not “seen” bythe stepper motor, thus reducing the risk of damage to the stepper motor318.

A particular feature of the first seat assembly 140 as hereinbeforedescribed is that it can be converted from the upright position of FIG.3 to a bed configuration as shown in FIG. 5. In order to convert theseat assembly 140 from the upright configuration to the bedconfiguration, the motor 280 is operated to cause rotation of theworm-screw 270. With the worm-screw housing 273 in the engaged positionon the worm-gear casing 260, rotation of the worm-screw 270 causescorresponding rotation of the worm-gear 271 and thus rotation of thesecond torque tube 250. Rotation of the torque tube 250 in turn causesrotation of the rocker arms 245 from a seat position as shown in FIG. 15to a bed position as shown in FIG. 14.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, rotation of the rocker arms 245rearwardly causes the links 241 to rock the rocker plates 223 forwardlyabout the trunnions 221. Rocking of the rocker plates 223 forwardlywithin the recess 144 causes the lower back-rest member 374 to rockforwardly about the trunnions 221. The gimbal joints 329 between theseat-pan element 171 and the nuts 320 also rotate about the trunnions222, and rocking of the rocker plates 223 causes the drag struts 355 topull the sliders 354 at the lower ends 343 of the levers 342 rearwardlyand downwardly along the slideways 350 from the upper ends 351 of theslideways towards the lower ends 352. The front and rear ends 334, 333,of the seat-pan element 171 are thus caused to descend within the recess144, such that the back-rest component 172 rocks forwardly over theseat-pan element 171 as shown in FIG. 5.

In the bed configuration of FIG. 5, the seat-pan element 171 is disposedin a lower stowed position within the recess 144, and the cushioning ormattress in the lower and upper rear recesses 386, 406 of the back-restcomponent 172, is disposed substantially co-planarly with the uppersurfaces 147, 148 of the seat housing 143 and of the cushioning 167 onthe ottoman unit 165. It can also be seen from FIG. 5 that the upper andlower back-rest elements 374, 394 are dimensioned such that in the bedconfiguration, the upper ends 409 of the upper side members 402 meet theottoman unit 165 such that the cushioning or mattress on the rearsurface of the backrest component 172 forms a substantially continuoussurface with the cushion 167 on the ottoman unit 165 and with the secondupper surface 148 on the seat housing 143. Advantageously, the upper end409 of the upper back-rest element 394 may engage a formation (notshown) on the ottoman unit 165, such that in the bed configuration partof the load applied to the back-rest component 172 is borne in part bythe ottoman unit. The engagement of the rocker levers 392 with the sidewalls 391 of their respective cavities on the lower side members 374 ofthe lower back-rest element 373 serves to lock the upper and lowerback-rest elements 373, 394 together to prevent buckling of theback-rest component 172 under load in the bed configuration.

Movement of the rocker plates 223 from the seat position to the bedposition also raises the arm members 432 carrying the in-fill cushioning443 within the recess 144. In the seat position as shown in FIG. 10, thedog-leg members 450 are disengaged from the cams 460 formed on the sidesurfaces 205, 206 of the recess 144 and can pivot freely about the pivotpoints 451. As mentioned above, however, movement of the dog-leg members450 is limited by the stop pins 457.

As the rocker plates 223 are rocked forwardly towards the bedconfiguration of FIG. 5, the holding pins 456 on the arms 432 becometrapped behind the hooks 453 on the first limbs 452 of the dog-legmembers 450. As the rocker plates 223 move towards the bedconfiguration, the cam followers 455 engage the cams 460, thus lockingthe dog-leg members 450 in place, trapping the holding pins 456 behindthe hooks 453.

As best seen in FIG. 5, the arm members 432, cushioning members 442,holding pins 456, dog-leg members 450 and cams 460 are shaped andpositioned such that, in the bed configuration, the upper surface 443 ofthe in-fill cushioning member 442 fills a space between the lower end376 of the lower back-rest element 374 and the forward end of the firstupper surface 147 of the seat housing 143. The upper surface 443 of thein-fill cushioning member 442 is disposed substantially continuously andsubstantially co-planarly with the cushioning or mattress on the rear ofthe back-rest component 172 and the first upper surface 147 to form anextended, substantially flat bed surface.

The supporting structure 142 of the seat assembly 140 is configured suchthat, in flight, with the floor surface 130 at an angle of about 1-3° tothe horizontal, the bed surface provided by the seat assembly of thepresent invention is disposed substantially horizontally relative toEarth. In other words, the seat assembly 140 of the present inventioncompensates for the slight incline of the aircraft in flight.

Advantageously, the worm-gear, worm-screw assembly 271, 270 isnon-reversible, and so in the bed and seat configurations, the motor 280does not “see” undue forces applied to the rocker plates 223. In otherwords, undue or sudden forces applied to the rocker plates 223 are nottransmitted through the worm-gear/worm-screw assembly to the motor 280.

The first passenger seat assembly 140 as hereinbefore described isequipped with user-operable controls mounted conveniently to thesupporting structure 142. Said controls comprise means for operating thestepper motor 318, for selectively moving the seat-pan and back-restmoveable elements 171, 374, 394 between the upright position of FIG. 3and the fully reclined position of FIG. 4, and for operation of themotor 280 for converting the moveable elements 171, 374, 394 between theupright seat configuration of FIG. 3 and the bed configuration of FIG. 5in which the moveable back-rest elements 374, 394 cooperate with thefixed auxiliary elements of the supporting structure 142, i.e., theottoman unit 165 and first and second upper surfaces 147, 148 of theseat housing 143 to form an extended, substantially flat bed for thepassenger. Said controls comprise control circuitry for ensuring that ifa passenger attempts to convert the seat assembly 140 from the seatconfiguration to the bed configuration when the seat is in a reclined orfully reclined position, the stepper motor 318 is first operated toreturn the moveable seat elements 171, 374, 394 to the fully uprightposition before the motor 280 is operated to convert the seat into thebed configuration. In the event of a failure of the motor 280 or of theaircraft cabin power supply, the seat assembly 140 can be returned tothe upright position of FIG. 3 by breaking the break-link device 282,283 as described above and manually rocking the rocker arms 245forwardly to the seat position of FIG. 15

The first passenger seat assembly 140 in accordance with the presentinvention as hereinbefore described thus provides self-contained,individual seating and sleeping accommodation for a passenger.

FIG. 17 shows another seating system in accordance with the presentinvention comprising a plurality of first passenger seat assemblies 140of the kind hereinbefore described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 16. InFIG. 17, an aircraft fuselage 510 encloses a passenger accommodationcabin 520 at a position rearwardly of a nose portion 515 of the fuselage510. As in the case of the seating system of FIG. 1, the accommodationcabin 520 of FIG. 17 is defined by two opposing interior surfaceportions 526, 528 of the fuselage 510, a floor surface or deck 530supported within the fuselage 510 on suitable supporting infrastructure(not shown) and a ceiling (also not shown). The infrastructure includesa plurality of pairs of seat tracks 532, 534 which are embedded in thefloor surface 530. The cabin 520 of FIG. 17 includes two outer pairs ofseat tracks 532, each extending juxtaposed a respective one of theopposing surface portions 526, 528 of the fuselage 510 and a single,central seat track pair 534. Each of the seat track pairs 532, 534extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal aircraft axis definedby the fuselage 510 and indicated in FIG. 17 by the chain dot line A-A.

The seat assemblies 140 are attached to the seat tracks 532, 534 to forma plurality of columns 529. Each column 529 is fixedly secured to arespective one of the seat track pairs 532, 534 and defines a notional,longitudinal column axis indicated by lines B-B in FIG. 17. Each seatassembly 140 defines a notional, longitudinal seat axis, indicated bylines C-C in FIG. 17, which subtends an angle of about 49° to thenotional column axis B-B. The seat assemblies 140 attached to the outerseat track pairs 532 face forwardly and inwardly within the cabin 520.The seat assemblies 140 attached to the central pair of seat tracks 534form two groups 537, 538. A forward group 537 of seat assemblies 140attached to the centre seat track pair 534 face forwardly and to oneside of the cabin 520, whilst a rear group 538 face forwardly and to theother side of the cabin 520.

As in FIG. 1, within each column 529, the seat assemblies of FIG. 17 arearranged side-by-side in a longitudinal off-set relation to one anotherso as to define a generally triangular or trapezoidal space 536 to therear of each seat assembly 140, behind the back-rest component 172 whenthe seat assembly 140 is in the seat configuration. As described above,each seat assembly 140 is self-contained, capable of providing anindividual, extended fiat bed having a length of at least 80″ (2.02meters) for a passenger, and the arrangement of seat assemblies 140 inaccordance the seating system of FIG. 17 allows the seat assemblies 140to be accommodated within the cabin 520 at a pitch of about 50 to 60″(1.27-1.52 meters). Thus, a plurality of seat assemblies 140 inaccordance with the present invention, each providing an individual bedof at least 80″ (2.032 meters) length, can be accommodated within atypical business class cabin of a passenger aircraft.

The interior surface of an aircraft fuselage 510 is concave in verticalcross-section, and thus within the cabin 520 of FIG. 17, each of theopposing interior surface portions 526, 528 of the fuselage 510 definesa lateral recess at each side of the cabin 520. Advantageously, thislateral recess is occupied by the first and second passenger-supportingauxiliary surfaces 147, 148 of each seat assembly 140 attached to one ofthe outer seat track pairs 532. The first and second supporting surfaces147, 148 form part of the extended flat bed surface provided by eachseat assembly 140 in the bed configuration and, whilst the lateralrecess has insufficient head room to accommodate the full height of theseat in an upright or reclined seating configuration, its use toaccommodate part of the extended bed surface for which the headroomrequirement is less represents an efficient use of the space availablewithin the cabin.

In accordance with the present invention, the upholstery used to dressthe seat-pan element 171 and cushioning 408 provided on the back-restelements 374, 394 of each seat assembly 140 may be selected such thatwhen all or a majority of the seat assemblies 140 of the seating systemof FIG. 17 are arranged in a seating configuration, the cabin has afirst particular appearance and/or ambience which is suitable for diningand/or lounging. The bedding materials provided for dressing thecushions provided in the lower and upper rear recesses 386, 406 on theback-rest component 172 may have patterns and/or colourways which areparticularly appropriate for a sleeping environment. In particular, thestyle of the bedding materials may be selected such that when all or amajority of the seat assemblies 140 of the seating system of FIG. 17 arein the bed configuration, the cabin 520 may have a different secondappearance or ambience which is more “restful” than the first appearanceand is more appropriate for a sleeping environment.

With reference to FIGS. 18 and 19 of the accompanying drawings, apassenger accommodation unit in accordance with another embodiment ofthe present invention comprises a shell assembly 610 that is assembledfrom two half-shells 610 a, 610 b. The accommodation unit is adapted tobe positioned in a passenger cabin of an aircraft in juxtaposition withat least one neighbouring seat 610′, and the two half-shells 610 a, 610b are similar to one another such that each forms a part of two adjacentseats. Each half-shell 610 a, 610 b is manufactured as a single piecefrom a suitable aircraft-grade, light-weight structural material.

The shell 610 of each accommodation unit comprises a curved, uprightrear screen 612 and an opposing, upright, curved front screen 614 whichare interconnected by a generally linear side wall 616 to form anenclosed passenger space 618.

Said shell 610 comprises a bottom edge 611 which defines a plane and isprovided with a plurality of suitable fixings (not shown) for attachingthe accommodation unit to the seat tracks in the aircraft cabin. In someembodiments the unit may be adequately secured to the seat tracks usingthree such fixings.

Said shell 610 provides a suitable supporting structure for a seat 620which comprises a seat-pan 622, a back-rest 624 and a backrest extension626 (see FIGS. 20A-20C). In particular, the shell 610 of theaccommodation unit comprises an under-seat-pan 628 (see FIG. 19) that isdisposed adjacent to the rear screen 612 and has a generally flat,horizontal upper surface that serves to support the seat-pan 622. Saidseat-pan 622 is pivoted to the under-seat-pan 628 at its forward edge623, and the backrest, which normally rests in a generally uprightposition against the internal surface of the rear screen 612, is pivotedat its lower end 625 to the rear end of the seat-pan. Said backrestextension 626 is permanently fixed to the internal surface of the rearscreen 612 at a position above and substantially contiguous to the upperedge of the backrest 624 in its normal position as described above.

Said enclosed passenger space 618 further comprises a pedestal 640 thatis supported above the cabin floor on the shell 610 adjacent the frontscreen 614. Optionally, said pedestal 640 may be height-adjustable inany convenient manner known to those skilled in the art.

Behind the rear screen 612, the shell 610 of the seating unit is shapedto define a hollow foot-box 630 (see FIGS. 21 A and 21B). In FIGS. 18and 19, the foot-box 630′ of the neighbouring seat is shown. Saidfoot-box 630 includes an internal, generally horizontal shelf which ispositioned at substantially the same vertical level as theunder-seat-pan 628, and an aperture 629 is formed in the rear screen 612of the shell 610 immediately behind the backrest 624 in its normalposition to allow access to the interior of the foot-box 630.

Said foot-box comprises a first side wall 632 which forms part of theinterconnecting side wall 616 of the shell 610 of the neighbouring unitand is oriented substantially parallel to the notional longitudinal axisof the unit. The foot-box 630 further comprises a second opposing sidewall 634 that subtends an acute angle with the notional, longitudinalaxis of the unit, such that the foot-box has a generally triangular ortrapezoid shape in plan view. In FIGS. 18-21 of the drawings, thefoot-box of the accommodation unit has a generally triangular shape, butthe foot-box could be truncated with an end wall between the two sidewalls 632, 634 to form a trapezoidal shape. Alternatively, where theseat is intended to be positioned juxtaposed a wall, the first side wall632 may be omitted such that the first lateral side of the foot-box isopen. The foot-box 630 terminates below the upper edge of the rearscreen 612 with a generally flat top wall 636. Said top wall 636 isformed with a generally triangular, flat portion 638 which serves as adrinks side-table for the neighbouring unit.

As shown in FIG. 19, the upper surfaces of the shelf within the foot-box630 and the under-seat-pan 628 are cushioned with thick padding orsupport a mattress portion 652. Similarly, the underside of the seat-pan622 and the rear side of the backrest 624 are cushioned.

In a “seat mode” the seat-pan 622 and backrest 624 are positionednormally as shown in FIGS. 18, 20A and 21A, such that a passenger maysit on the seat. However, when the passenger wishes to go to sleep, heor she may get up from the seat and manually pull the back-rest 624 awayfrom the rear screen 612. The back-rest 624 will pivot relative to theseat-pan 622, and continued pulling of the back-rest 624 will cause therear end of the seat-pan 622 to lift upwardly away from theunder-seat-pan and pivot about its front edge 623 as shown in FIG. 20B.The seat-pan 622 and back-rest 624 can be manipulated as shown in FIGS.20C and 21B to provide a substantially flat and continuous sleepingsurface in which the front side of the back-rest 624 is supported on anupper surface of the pedestal 640, the joints between the back-rest 624,seat-pan 622 and under-seat-pan 628 locking in the flat position asshown in FIG. 20C to form a “bed mode”. The passenger may then lie downon the flat surface with his or her head towards the front screen 614.By removing the back-rest 624 from the rear screen 612, the aperture 629through the shell 610 is exposed, allowing the passenger to extend hisor her tower legs through the aperture into the foot-box 630. In the bedmode, the cushioned upper surfaces of the shelf and under-seat-pan 628and the underside of the seat-pan 622 and rearside of the back-rest 624may be fitted with suitable bed linen such as sheets and blankets, and apillow for the passenger may be placed on the rear of the back-rest 624.The surfaces of the unit used in the bed mode may be upholstered anddressed differently from those used in the seat mode. When all of amajority of the units in the a cabin are in one or other of the modes, aparticular ambience can be created within the cabin.

By positioning the accommodation unit at an angle of about 40-50degrees, preferably about 45 degrees, to the direction of travel of theaircraft, a full bed length of up to 7 ft (2.13 meters) may be providedfor the passenger, and at the same time, a side-table 638 is alsoprovided of generous proportions, of the kind normally associated withfirst-class accommodation. As with the seat units 40 of FIGS. 1-2 andthe seat assembly of FIGS. 3-5, the accommodation unit of FIGS. 18-21 isconfigured to compensate for the bed mode, the accommodation unit inaccordance with the present invention provides a substantiallyhorizontal sleeping surface.

Another passenger accommodation unit in accordance with the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 22-27. Many of the elements of theunit of FIGS. 22-27 are similar to corresponding elements of the unit ofFIGS. 18-21 described above. Accordingly, for clarity, such elements arereferred to by the same reference numerals plus 100. Thus, by way ofexample, whilst the rear screen of the unit of FIGS. 18-21 is referredto by numeral 612, the rear screen of the unit of FIGS. 22-27 isreferred to by numeral 712.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 22, the other passenger accommodation unitcomprises a shell 710 which is formed from two half shells 710 a and 710b. Said shell 710 comprises a rear screen 712 and a front screen 714that are interconnected by an interconnecting side wall 716. Behind therear screen 712, the shell comprises a hollow foot-box 730 havingopposing side walls 732 and a top wall 736 which includes asubstantially flat, horizontal portion 738 that serves as a drinksside-table for a neighbouring seat.

The shell 710 of FIGS. 22-27 is mounted on a plinth 760. Said plinth 760is manufactured from a suitable aircraft grade, light-weight, structuralmaterial, typically the same material as the shell 710, and has a planarbottom wall 762 which is fitted with suitable fixings (not shown) forfixing the plinth substantially to the seat tracks.

Said plinth 760 is formed with a recess 764 which is defined by anupstanding side wall 763 having an inwardly directed, upper rim 765.Said recess 764 extends from the front screen 714 under the entire seatinto the foot-box 730 which is positioned at floor level. The recess 764accommodates a mattress or similar cushioning or padding suitable forforming a bed for a passenger. Said recess is shaped to compensate forthe slight incline of the aircraft in flight such that said mattress issubstantially horizontal. Juxtaposed the front screen 714, the shell 710carries a movable pedestal 740 which is movable on a substantiallyvertical axis between a tower deployed position as shown in FIGS. 22 and24A and a raised, stowed position as shown in FIG. 24B. Whilst variousmechanisms for achieving such movement of the pedestal will be apparentto those skilled in the art, an example of a suitable mechanism would beinter-engaging runners fitted on the inner surface of the front screen714 and on the pedestal 740. Suitable means are provided for locking thepedestal 740 in the upper and lower positions.

Said shell 710 defines a personal passenger space 718 which accommodatesa seat 720 comprising a seat-pan 722 and a backrest 724. Said backrest724 is permanently fixed to the inner surface of the rear screen 712,whilst the seat-pan is pivoted at its rear edge 723 to the inner surfaceof the rear screen 712 for movement between a deployed position as shownin FIGS. 22 and 24A and a stowed position as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24B.In the deployed position the front edge 725 of the seat-pan 722 issupported by inwardly directed protrusions 752 formed on the shell 710which constitutes supporting structure for the seat assembly 720.

Beneath the seat-pan 722, the rear screen 712 of the shell 710 is formedwith an aperture 729 to allow access from the passenger space 718 intothe interior of the foot-box 730. Said mattress extends beneath the seatassembly 720 through the aperture 729 into the foot-box 730.

Intermediate the seat-pan 722 and pedestal 740, the recess 764 iscovered by a removable false floor panel 770 which is made from asuitable aviation standard, load-bearing material. Said false floorpanel 770 is preferably connected to said interconnecting side wall 716for movement between a deployed position as shown in FIG. 22 and astowed position in which the panel 770 extends substantially verticallyand lies contiguous the side wall 716. Securing means are provided forsecuring the panel in the stowed position.

Juxtaposed the seat-pan of a neighbouring unit, the first side wall 732′of the foot-box is formed with an external recess 733′ which is providedwith an upholstered shelf 735′ at the same level as the seat-pan 722 ofthe neighbouring unit to provide a lateral extension of said seat-pan722.

The accommodation unit 720 can thus be selectively manipulated between a“seat mode” as shown in FIGS. 22 and 24A in which the seat-pan 722 isdeployed and a “bed mode” as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24B in which theseat-pan 722 is pivoted upwardly about its rear edge 723 to lie flatagainst the inner surface of the backrest 724 in the stowed position. Inthe bed mode, the removable false floor panel 770 can be moved to thestowed position, and the pedestal 740 raised from its lower position toits raised position thereby to expose the mattress within the recess 764of the pedestal 760. Raising the seat-pan 722 to its stowed positionfacilitates access to the foot-box 730 and provides a more spaciouspersonal space 718 within the shell 710 in the bed mode.

Thus, in the seat mode as shown in FIG. 24A, a passenger may sit on theseat provided by the unit 720 and, if desired, may rest his or her feeton the pedestal 740 in its lower position. If the passenger desires togo to bed, then he or she may stand up and lift the seat-pan 722 to itsstowed position as shown in FIG. 24B. The pedestal 740 may be raised toits elevated position and the false floor panel 770 may be removed. Thepassenger may then lie down on the mattress within the recess 764 withhis or her head towards the front panel 714 and his or her tower legsextending into the foot-box 730. By orienting the unit at an angle ofabout 40-50 degrees, for example about 45 degrees to the direction oftravel of the vehicle, an overall bed length of up to about 7 ft (2.13meters) may be provided. The front screen 714 serves to protect thepassengers head whilst asleep, and the pedestal 760 provides a step-upinto the passenger's personal space which many passengers findattractive. The shell above the foot-box may be shaped to provide alateral seat extension 735 for the seat-pan 722 of a neighbouring seatand a generously proportioned occasional side-table 738 for use by theneighbouring seat.

In a variant of the other accommodation unit of FIGS. 22-24, theseat-pan 722, instead of pivoting about its rear edge 723 to lie flat,in its stowed position, against the front surface of the backrest 724may be arranged to slide relative to the shell 710 between a forwardposition as shown schematically in FIG. 26A and a retracted position asshown in FIGS. 25 and 26C. In the retracted position, the seat-pan 722,or at least a major proportion of the seat-pan 722 may be accommodatedwithin the foot-box 730 at a position vertically spaced above themattress. Various mechanisms suitable for achieving such slidingmovement of the seat-pan 722 will be self-evident for those skilled inthe art, for example linear bearings provided on the interior surfacesof the shell 710 adjacent to the seat-pan 722. Advantageously, thesliding mechanism may be provided with one or more detents (not shown)for selectively halting movement of the seat-pan 722 in at least oneintermediate position such as that shown in FIG. 26B. Thus, in the fullyextended position, as shown in FIG. 26A, the unit may be configuredergonomically for relaxing, whilst in the intermediate position as shownin FIG. 26B, the unit may be configured to provide a more uprightpassenger position which is suitable, for example, for dining orworking. In the fully retracted position, the seat-pan 722 issubstantially stowed to allow access to the foot-box 730 when the seatis in bed mode.

Another variant of the accommodation unit of FIGS. 22-24 is shown inFIG. 27 in which the removable false floor panel 770 is hinged to theinterconnecting side wall 716 for movement between a deployed positionin which it lies generally horizontally over the recess 764 to protectthe mattress and a stowed position as shown in FIG. 27 in which it liesflat in a substantially vertical orientation against the interconnectingside wall 716. The underside 772 of the false floor panel 770 may beupholstered with suitable cushioning, such that together with themattress 764, it provides a sofa-like arrangement; a passenger may sitsideways on the mattress 764 in the bed mode with his or herback-resting against the underside 772 of the panel 770.

Yet another seating system in accordance with the present invention isillustrated in FIG. 28. The particular system of FIG. 28 is designedspecifically for use on the upper and lower decks of a Boeing 747-400®aircraft, but the system may be adapted for use on any passengeraircraft, particularly in a business class cabin. The seating system ofFIG. 28, on each of the upper and lower decks, comprises a plurality ofpassenger accommodation units 800 in accordance with the presentinvention, for example the accommodation units of FIGS. 18-21 or FIGS.22-27. Each of said units 800 is positioned juxtaposed a cabin side wall810 and is oriented at an angle of about 40-50 degrees, preferably about45 degrees, to the longitudinal direction of the juxtaposed side wall810, with the rear of the unit towards the wall 810, such that the seatfaces generally inwardly of the cabin. By orienting units 800 to faceinwardly, the cabin is given a less crowded appearance as compared witha cabin in which seats are aligned substantially fore-and-aft. Each unithas a generally triangular or trapezoidal extension box or space 830between the rear of the unit and the juxtaposed cabin side wall 810.Generally, the walls of an aircraft cabin are concave on the interior,and accordingly the extension box or space 830 of each unit 800 extendsinto the concave recess defined by the wall to optimise the use of spacein the cabin. Each unit 800 comprises means adapted to provide a bed asdescribed above which extends into the extension box or space tomaximise the available bed length.

In some aircraft floor plans, there may also be sufficient space todispose one or more units towards the centre of the cabin, as shown forthe lower deck of the Boeing® 747-400 in FIG. 28. In that embodiment,two central lines of units are provided in which each unit is orientedat an angle of about 45 degrees to the direction of travel of theaircraft. The central units 800 are arranged in pairs, with each seatfacing generally forwardly and outwardly of the cabin, such that the twounits of each pair diverge from one another in the forwards directionand define a generally quadrilateral space behind the units in front ofthe pair of units behind. Said quadrilateral space 840 accommodates anextension box or space associated with each unit 800 in order to providean extended bed length for each unit. Where each unit 800 comprises ahollow foot-box of the kind described above with reference to FIGS.18-21 and FIGS. 22-27, the top wall of each foot-box may be adapted toprovide a convenient side-table or other furniture means for anotherunit.

With reference to FIGS. 29A to 29C, a second passenger seat assembly 900for a passenger vehicle such, for example, as an aircraft, in accordancewith the present invention comprises a fixed, supporting structure,generally indicated by reference numeral 910 for supporting the seatassembly of the floor F of the vehicle. Said supporting structure 910comprises means suitable for attaching the seat assembly to the floor.For instance, where the seat assembly 900 is to be installed onaircraft, said supporting structure 910 typically comprises one or morefixings for attaching the seat assembly to seat tracks of the kindcommonly found in the floor of an aircraft cabin. As with the seat units40 of FIGS. 1-2 or the first seat assembly of FIGS. 3-5, the supportingstructure of the second seat assembly 900 may comprise a plinth orpalette (not shown) for attachment to said seat tracks. Said supportingstructure 910 further comprises two elevated, passenger-supportingmembers 912, 914, each of which has a generally flat, substantiallyhorizontal upper surface (subject to compensation for the slight inclineof the aircraft in flight). Said passenger supporting members 912, 914are spaced apart to define a cavity 916 within the supporting structure.

Said supporting structure 910 can be made of any suitable, aircraftgrade structural materials known to those skilled in the art. Saidsupporting structure may be generally skeletal or may comprise one ormore solid walls. Typically, said supporting structure is made from alight-weight composite material, but the aforementioned fixings forsecuring the supporting structure to seat tracks in an aircraft or otherfloor may comprise one or more reinforcing beams or plinths of lightsteel or aluminium.

Said cavity 916 accommodates a passenger seat, generally indicated byreference numeral 920. Said passenger seat 920 is generally supported bythe supporting structure 910 and comprises a back-rest element 922 and aseat-pan element 924. Said back-rest and seat-pan elements 922 and 924are connected to the supporting structure 910 by a seat movementmechanism, generally indicated by reference numeral 930.

Said seat movement mechanism 930 comprises two similar, irregularlyshaped, polygonal plates 932 that are mounted to either side of the seat920. It will be appreciated that as FIGS. 29A to 29C are sideelevations, only one of said plates 932 can be seen. Each polygonalplate 932 is formed with a generally linear, elongate slot 934juxtaposed one edge 935 of the plate. Juxtaposed an opposing edge 936,said plate 932 carries two spaced, inwardly directed lugs 937. Astraight line between lugs 937 subtends an acute angle with said linearslot 934. Juxtaposed a further edge 939 of said plate 932, which furtheredge extends generally transversely between said one and opposing edges935, 936, said plate 932 is connected to one end of a two part linkagedevice 940. Said linkage device 940 comprises a first member 941 that ispivotally connected to said plate 932 and a second member 942 that ispivotally connected at one end to first member 941 to form a “knee”joint 943 and is connected at another end to a fixed pivot point 944 onsaid supporting structure 910.

Said seat movement mechanism comprises means for linking the seat-pan tothe back-rest such that the lower end of the back-rest remainscontiguous to the rear end of the seat-pan, whilst allowing saidseat-pan and back-rest to pivot relative to each other.

Said linear slot 934 has upper and lower extremities 954,955 andaccommodates slidingly a lug member 951 that protrudes from therespective side of the seat-pan 924. Juxtaposed its forward end 925,said seat-pan 924 is pivotally connected to each side, at pivot point952, to one end of a linear strut 961. Said linear strut 961 ispivotally connected at its other end 962 to a carriage member (notshown) that is connected to the supporting structure 910 beneath theseat-pan 924. Said carriage member is movably mounted to the supportingstructure 910 such that the carriage member can move between an upperposition corresponding to FIGS. 29A to 29C and lower positioncorresponding to FIGS. 30A and 30B. Suitable biasing means such, forexample, as springs, gas struts or the like, are provided for biasingthe carriage member into the upper position. Selectively releasablemechanical locking means are also usually provided for locking thecarriage means member in its upper position.

Said linear strut 961 is rockably mounted to the carriage member suchthat it can rock between a generally upright position as shown in FIG.29A and a forwardly reclined position as shown in FIG. 29C.

Said spaced lugs 937 on the polygonal plate 932 engage in a curvilineartrack 971 that is fixedly secured to the respective side of the backrest922. As can be seen from FIGS. 29A to 29C and 30A to 30B, saidcurvilinear track 971 is conveniently formed in an elongate plate member972 that is attached to the side of the back-rest. Said curvilineartrack 971 has upper and lower extremities 973, 974 respectively.

With reference to FIG. 29A, when said seat 920 is disposed in an uprightor “dining” position, the two-part linkage device 940 is an extendedconfiguration such that the first and second members 941, 942 aregenerally co-linear with one another, and both of said first and secondmembers 941, 942 extend generally upwardly and forwardly from said pivotpoint 944. Said plate 932 extends rearwardly of its point of attachmentto the first link member 941 and is oriented such that said linear slot934 extends upwardly and rearwardly. The back-rest portion 922 is in anupright position, and the spaced lugs 937 are disposed at the lowerextremity of the curvilinear track 971. The seat-pan is orientedsubstantially horizontally, (in flight) and the lug 951 is disposed atthe upper extremity 954 of the linear slot 934. The carriage member (notshown) is disposed in its upper position as described above, and therockable linear strut 961 is oriented generally vertically. The seat-pan924 is thus positioned rearwardly within the cavity 916 between the twopassenger supporting members 912, 914.

Said seat-pan 924 has an upper surface 926 that is suitably upholsteredfor use as a seating component. Similarly, said back-rest element 922has a front surface 923 that is suitably upholstered as a seatingcomponent. Preferably, the forward surface 923 of the back-rest elementis dressed to match the upper surface 926 of the seat-pan element 924.One of said passenger supporting members 914 is positioned forwardly ofthe seat 920 and serves as a fixed leg-rest portion 928. Said leg-restportion 928 has an upper surface 929.

Said linear strut 961 is operably connected to a selectively operablelocking motor drive (not shown) which is capable of driving the strut961 to rock about its upper end 962, as described above, between theupright position of FIG. 29A and the forwardly inclined position of FIG.29C. Suitable user controls (not shown) are provided in the seatassembly to enable a passenger using the seat to operate said lockingdrive.

Said back-rest portion 922 has a rear surface 921 that is generallyplanar. Said rear surface 921 is spaced from the passenger supportingmember 912 by a small gap 913 when the seat is upright as shown in FIG.29A. Said rear surface 921 carries a mattress portion (not shown) foruse as part of a bed, which mattress portion is attached to the rearsurface 921 of the backrest portion 922 such that when the back-rest isupright, the mattress portion does not detach. Said passenger supportingmember 912 also has an upper surface 911 which carries a mattressportion. A movable infill passenger supporting member 915 is pivotallyconnected to a forward, transverse edge 917 of said passenger supportingmember 912. Said infill member 915 is generally rectilinear and has anupper surface 918 which has a generally flat upper surface 918 whichcarries a mattress portion (not shown). Said infill member 915 isslidably connected to the rear surface 921 of the back-rest element 922.As seen in FIG. 29A, in the upright position, the infill member 915extends generally upright between the fixed passenger supporting member912 and the back-rest element 922 of the seat 920 in said gap 913.

In addition to the locking drive motor for driving the linear strut 961,a further selectively operable motorised drive is provided for rockingthe second link member 942 of said two-part linkage device 940rearwardly about the fixed pivot point 944. Said second link member 942comprises a rearwardly extending knuckle portion 945 (see FIG. 30A) forconnection to said other drive motor (not shown).

Said user controls may also be adapted to operate said mechanicallocking means to release the seat-pan from its upper positionsimultaneously with operation of said second drive.

When the seat is upright as shown in FIG. 29A, the seat may be reclinedby operating the locking drive motor to rock the linear strut 961forwardly about its other end 962, whilst the carriage member (notshown) supporting the linear strut 961 is retained in its upperposition. By rocking the linear strut 961 forwardly, the seat-panelement 924 of the seat is pulled forwardly within the cavity 916, andthe lug 951 slides along said slot 934 from said upper extremity 954towards said lower extremity 955. Forward movement of the seat-pan alsocauses the lower end of the back-rest 922 to move forwardly. Theback-rest portion is constrained to move along a predetermined path bythe engagement of the lugs 937 within the curvilinear track 971. Thetrack 971 is shaped to cause the back-rest 922 to recline rearwardlyprogressively as the seat-pan moves forward.

As the seat is reclined, the lugs 937 move along said curvilinear track971 through an intermediate position as shown in FIG. 29B and two of thelugs 937 abut the upper extremity 973 of the curvilinear track 971, atwhich point no further movement of the seat is possible, and the seat isin a reclined or “lounge” position as shown in FIG. 29C. It will beappreciated that the locking action of the locking drive motor allowsthe seat to be stopped and locked at any desired intermediate positionbetween the two extreme positions represented by FIGS. 29A and 29C.

When a passenger using the second seat assembly 900 in accordance withthe present invention wishes to go to sleep, the seat assembly can beconverted into a bed. The passenger operates the user controls torelease the seat-pan from its upper position and to cause the secondmotorised actuator to rock the second link member 942 of the linkagedevice 940 rearwardly about said pivot point 944 as shown in FIG. 30A.As the second link member 942 is rocked rearwardly, the knee jointbetween the first and second link members 941, 942 is broken allowingthe first link member 941 to rock forwardly and downwardly about theknee joint 943 which, in turn, causes the polygonal plates 932 to rockforwardly and downwardly, thereby causing the back-rest element of theseat 920 to move forwardly within the cavity 916 and to pivot forwardlyfrom its upright position. As the back-rest element 922 pivotsforwardly, it pushes downwardly on the seat-pan portion 924 which isthus caused to move downwardly on said carriage member (not shown)against the action of the biasing means. Continued rearward movement ofthe second linkage member 942 causes the polygonal plates 932 andback-rest element 922 to move downwardly towards the floor F of thevehicle until, as shown in FIG. 30B, the rear surface 921 of theback-rest element 922 is disposed substantially horizontally (in flight)and co-planarly with the passenger supporting members 912, 914. Thelinkage member 940, polygonal plate 932, curvilinear tracks 971 and lugs937 are arranged such that in the bed configuration as shown in FIG.30B, the upper end of the back-rest element 922 abuts the rear edge ofthe forward passenger supporting member 914 to form a continuous surfacetherewith. Suitable, releasable locking means are provided for lockingthe back-rest 922 in the end position.

Furthermore, as seen most clearly in FIG. 30A, as the back-rest element922 rocks forwardly and moves translationally forwards within the cavity916, the infill and member 915 slides along the rear surface 921 of theback-rest element and is caused or allowed to pivot forwardly until, asshown in FIG. 30B, when the back-rest element is disposed substantiallyhorizontally, the infill member 915 forms a bridge between the passengersupporting member 912 and the rear surface 921 of the back-rest element922, such that the upper surfaces 911, 918, 921 of the passengersupporting member 912, infill member 915 and back-rest element 922 aresubstantially co-planar and form a continuous surface. It will beappreciated that the mattress portions carried by the passengersupporting member 912, infill member 915 and rear surface 921 of saidback-rest 922 form an elongate mattress for the passenger to steep on.Furthermore, the upper surface 929 of the passenger supporting member914 forwardly of the seat 920 may also carry a mattress portion whichfurther extends the bed formed by the seat in the bed configuration ofFIG. 30B. The seat assembly in accordance with the present inventionallows a continuous bed surface to be formed having a length of at least78-80 inches (1.98-2.032 meters). In some cases, the bed formed by theupper surfaces 911, 918, 921, 929 of the passenger supporting members912, 914, infill member 915 and rear surface 921 of the back-restelement 922 may have a length in excess of 85 inches (2.16 meters).

In order to return the seat assembly 900 to a seat configuration, thesecond motor drive is actuated to rock the second link member 942 of thetwo part linkage device 940 forwardly about said fixed pivot point 944,thereby causing the first link member 941 to rock rearwardly which, inturn, causes the polygonal plates 932 to rock rearwardly and moveupwardly, restoring the back-rest element 922 progressively to itsupright position. As the back-rest element 922 returns to the uprightposition, the seat-pan element 924 is allowed to return to its upperposition on the carriage member (not shown) under the influence of saidbiasing means (also not shown). When the seat-pan is returned to itsupper seat position, the mechanical locking means are automaticallyre-engaged to retain the seat in its upper position.

As will be appreciated from inspection of FIGS. 29A to 29C, the uppersurface 911 of said passenger supporting member 912 and upper surface918 of said infill member 915, when the seat assembly is configured in aseat configuration, form a convenient recess 980 to the rear of the seat920. Said recess 980 is at least partially concealed from view by theback-rest portion 922 of the seat 920. Thus, said recess 980 may be usedfor a storage, for example of bedding materials such as pillows, duvets,and the like. When the seat assembly is moved to the bed configurationof FIG. 30B, the bedding materials can be easily accessed by a passengerand deployed upon the bed surface that is formed by the components ofthe seat assembly as described above.

A further advantage of the passenger seat assembly 900 as hereinbeforedescribed is that the front surface 923 of said back-rest element 922and upper surface 926 of the seat-pan element 924 can be upholstered andcovered specifically for use as seating components. Thus, for example,the back-rest element and seat-pan element 922, 924 may carry foampadding layers that are sculpted particularly for use as seatingmembers. The texture, patterns and/or colourways of the upholstery anddressing materials used for covering the front surface 923 of theback-rest element and upper surface 926 of the seat-pan element may beselected specifically for use as seating materials. Conversely, themattress portions carried by the passenger supporting member 912, infillmember 915 and rear surface 921 of back-rest element 922 may bespecifically adapted for use as bedding materials. Thus, interior sprungmattress portions or foam padding layers may be used which arespecifically shaped for maximum passenger comfort when the seat is usedas a bed. In particular, the materials and fabrics used to dress themattress portions may have textures, colours, etc. that are particularlysuitable for use as bedding materials. The bedding materials used todress the mattress portions and the materials used to dress the seatingportions of the seat assembly may have quite different appearances fromone another. However, as will be appreciated, when the seat isconfigured for use as a seat, the bedding materials are largelyconcealed by the back-rest element 922, leaving visible only those partsof the seat that are used actually form part of the seat. Similarly,when the seat is reconfigured for use as a bed, the front surface of theback-rest element and upper surface of the seat-pan element aresubstantially concealed from view, leaving visible only the beddingmaterials comprising the mattress portions on the passenger supportingcomponent 912, infill member 915 and rear surface 921 of the back-restelement 922.

Where a plurality of passenger seat assemblies in accordance with thepresent invention are installed in a vehicle cabin, for example, on anaircraft, they can be used to give the aircraft cabin two differentvisual appearances or ambiances according to whether a majority of theseat assemblies are disposed in a bed configuration or a seatconfiguration. Thus, during a daytime flight, or during a daytimeportion of a long haul flight, a majority of passenger seat assembliesmay be arranged in a seat configuration as per one of FIGS. 29A to 29C.The bedding materials will be substantially concealed, leaving visibleonly the seating surfaces of the assemblies. The seat assemblies may, ofcourse, be dressed in any desired design, but, for example, seatassemblies may be upholstered and dressed to give the cabin theappearance of a private members club environment. For instance, theupper surface 926 of the seat-pan element 924 and front surface 923 ofthe back-rest element 922 may be upholstered in leather. During anight-time flight or during the night-time portion of a long haulflight, a majority, or all, of the seat assemblies may be configured ina bed configuration as per FIG. 30B, in which case, the seating portionsof the assemblies will be substantially concealed, leaving visible onlythe bedding materials carried by the upper surfaces 911, 918, 921, 929of the passenger supporting members 912, 914, infill member 915 andback-rest element 922. The materials used to dress the mattress portionsmay have a significantly “softer” appearance than the materials used todress the reverse seating side of the back-rest element 922, in order togive the passenger cabin an attractive, restful ambiance that isappropriate for sleeping.

FIGS. 31 and 32 show respectively two different seating systems, eachcomprising a plurality of seat assemblies of the kind hereinbeforedescribed with reference to FIGS. 29-30. In FIG. 31, an aircraft cabinis defined inter alia by two opposing curvilinear walls 1001, 1002. Asis well known to those skilled in the art, each of said walls 1001, 1002is generally concave on its internal surface. Juxtaposed each of saidwalls 1001, 1002 is provided a column 1029 of passenger seat assemblies900 in accordance with the present invention. Each seat assembly 900defines a notional longitudinal axis indicated by reference numeral 1012in respect of a representative one of the seat assemblies 900. The seatassemblies 900 are oriented at an acute angle with respect to theadjacent cabin wall 1001, 1002. FIG. 31 also shows, in juxtapositionwith wall 1001, a notional “forwards” axis 1014. It will be appreciatedthat towards the front of the aircraft, the “forwards” axis 1014 maynot, in fact, be oriented precisely forwards with respect to thedirection of travel of the aircraft, but is oriented substantiallyparallel to the fore-aft direction of the adjacent side wall 1001,ignoring the slight curvature of that side wall 1001. Each of saidpassenger seat assemblies 900 is oriented to define an angle α of about40° between the notional, longitudinal axis 1012 of the seat assemblyand the notional “forwards” axis 1014 of the aircraft cabin. Each seatassembly is positioned such that the passenger supporting member 912 isdisposed adjacent the juxtaposed cabin wall 1001, 1002, such that thepassenger supporting member 912 extends into the recess defined by theconcave nature of said side wall 1001, 1002. The seat 920 is positionedfacing forwardly and inwardly with respect of the cabin, and a lowprivacy screen 927 is formed around the forward end of the passengersupporting member 914, so as to define a personal passenger space aroundeach seat assembly. By positioning each seat assembly such that thepassenger supporting member 912 extends into the recess defined by theconcave side wall 1001, 1002, maximum use is made of the space availablein the aircraft cabin. As will be appreciated, the passenger supportingmember 912 is only used by a passenger when the seat is arranged in abed configuration, and thus, full-height head room is not required abovepassenger supporting member 912.

Suitable privacy screens may be provided between adjacent seats, and asshown in FIG. 31, a space 1015 adjacent each seat assembly and behindthe passenger supporting member 912 of the neighbouring seat assemblymay be used to provide a seat-height surface for use as a cocktail tableor the like.

Where cabin space permits, one or more central columns 1030 of seatassemblies 900 may be installed in addition to columns of seatassemblies 900 juxtaposed the cabin walls 1001, 1002. FIG. 31 shows acabin installation in which two central columns of seat assemblies 1030are installed. Within each central column 1030, the seat assemblies 900are arranged, as described above, at an acute angle to the fore-aft axisof the aircraft cabin. The seat assemblies 900 are also arranged in rowsof two and, within each row, the seat assemblies are arrangedback-to-back so that the passenger supporting members 912 of adjacentseats within the same row are disposed contiguously to one another and,when the seats are in a seating configuration, are substantiallyconcealed from view by the juxtaposed back-rest elements of the seat920.

FIG. 32 shows a seating system suitable for a different aircraftcomprising three columns 1129, 1130 of seat assemblies 900, comprisingtwo columns 1129 that are disposed respectively juxtaposed the twolongitudinal walls 1101, 1102 of the cabin and a single, central column.As with the installation shown in FIG. 31, the seat assemblies 900 ineach column 1129, juxtaposed one of the cabin walls 1101, 1102 areoriented such that the seats face forwards and inwards with respect tothe cabin. The seat assemblies within the central column 1130 are alsoarranged to face forwards and to one side. Each seat assembly defines anacute angle β of about 49° between the notional longitudinal axis 1112of the seat assembly 900 and the fore-aft axis 1114 of the cabin.

FIGS. 33A to 33C show a third passenger seat assembly according to thepresent invention. For components of the third seat assembly of FIGS.33A to 33C that are similar to corresponding components of the assemblyof FIGS. 29A to 29C and FIGS. 30A and 30B, corresponding referencenumerals are used, but with the prefix “12” instead of “9”. Thus, thesupporting structure 1210 of the third seat assembly of FIGS. 33A to 33Ccorresponds to supporting structure 910 of the second seat assembly ofFIGS. 29A to 29C.

The third seat assembly according to FIGS. 33A to 33C comprises asupporting structure generally indicated by reference numeral 1210, forsupporting the assembly off the floor F of a vehicle floor such, forexample, as the floor of an aircraft cabin. Similar to the second seatassembly of FIGS. 29 and 30 described above, the third seat assembly ofFIGS. 33A to 33C comprises two elevated, auxiliary passenger-supportingelements 1212, 1214 that are spaced apart and oppose one another to forma cavity 1216 within the supporting structure. Said cavity 1216accommodates a seat generally indicated by reference numeral 1220, whichseat comprises a back-rest element 1222 and a seat-pan element 1224.Said seat-pan element 1224 has a forward end 1225 and a rear end 1223and is pivoted at its rear end 1223 to a lower end 1226 of the back-restelement 1222. Said seat-pan element 1224 is movably connected to thesupporting structure 1210 by a seat movement mechanism (not shown) whichallows the seat-pan element 1224 to move substantially vertically withinthe cavity 1216 between an upper position as shown in FIG. 33A and alower position as shown in FIG. 33C. Suitable biasing means are provided(not shown) for biasing the seat-pan element 1224 into the upperposition and selectively operable locking means are provided for lockingthe seat-pan 1224 in the upper position.

Said back-rest element 1222 is pivoted to said supporting structure 1210at a fixed pivot point 1230. Said back-rest element 1222 has a rearsurface 1221 which comprises an extension portion 1231 at the lower end1226 of the back-rest element 1222, which extension portion 1231 extendsdownwardly beyond the fixed pivot point 1230 when the back-rest element1222 is in an upright position.

The upper surface of the seat-pan element 1224 and front surface of theback-rest element 1222 are upholstered and covered with materials thatare specifically designed for use as seating materials. Thepassenger-supporting element 1214 is spaced forwardly of the seat 1220and can be used as a foot-rest element 1228 when the seat 1220 is in anupright position as shown in FIG. 33A. The passenger-supporting element1212 is disposed behind the back-rest element 1222 and separatedtherefrom by a small gap 1213.

Said rear surface 1221 of the back-rest element 1222 is generally flatand carries a first mattress portion (not shown) which is designed anddressed specifically for use as a bedding component. Saidpassenger-supporting element 1212 has an upper surface 1211 which alsocarries a mattress portion. The back-rest 1222 and passenger-supportingelement 1212 define a recess 1280 behind the back-rest 1222 which can beused for storage of bedding materials such as pillows, duvets, rugs,blankets and the like. An advantage of the third passenger seat assemblyaccording to the present invention is that when the back-rest is in theupright position as shown in FIG. 33A, the recess 1280 is concealed fromview, thus tidily hiding any bedding materials stored in the recess.

Said back-rest element 1222 is pivotable from an upright position inFIG. 33A about said fixed pivot point 1230 to a bed position as shown inFIG. 33C. Said back-rest element 1222 and said pivot point 1230 aredesigned, with the passenger-supporting elements 1212, 1214, such that,in the bed position, the rear surface 1221 of the back-rest element 1222is disposed contiguously to both of said passenger-supporting elements1212, 1214 to form a generally flat, substantially continuous surfacetherewith. In the bed configuration of FIG. 33C, the second mattressportion carried by the upper surface 1211 of the passenger-supportingelement 1212 and the first mattress portion carried by the rear surface1221 of the back-rest element 1222 abut or nearly abut one another toform an elongated bed on which a passenger using the seat may sleep. Theupper surface 1229 of the passenger-supporting element 1214 also formsan extension surface to be bed. As with the first and second seatassemblies described above, in accordance with the third seatingassembly, it is possible to form a bed having a total “point-to-point”length of at least 78-80″ (1.98-2.032 cm) and, in some cases, at least85″ (2.16 cm).

Movement of the back-rest element 1222 between the upright and bedpositions of FIGS. 33A and 33C may be motorised (not shown) and suitableuser-operable controls (also not shown) may be provided adjacent theseat 1220 to enable a passenger to control operation of the seat. Whenthe seat is in the upright position as shown in FIG. 33A, the lockingmechanism may be removed thereby releasing the seat-pan from its upperposition, and operation of the motor drive causes the back-rest element1222 to rock forwardly about said fixed pivot point 1230. As theback-rest element 1222 rocks forwardly, it abuts on the seat-pan element1224, pushing the seat-pan element 1224 downwardly in the cavity 1216,against the action of the aforementioned biasing means.

In the bed position as shown in FIG. 33C, the seat-pan element 1224 iscompletely concealed by back-rest element 1222. Thus, as with the firstand second seat assemblies described above, the front surface of theback-rest element 1222 and upper surface of the seat-pan element 1224may be covered with materials to give a completely different visualappearance and cabin ambience from those materials used to dress thebedding parts carried by the rear surface 1221 of the back-rest element1222 and upper surface 1211 of the passenger-supporting element 1212.When the back-rest element 1222 is upright, the seating surfaces of theback-rest element 1222 and seat-pan element 1224 are visible, whilst thebedding surfaces of the rear surface 1221 of the back-rest element 1222and upper surface 1211 of the passenger-supporting element 1212 areconcealed. On the other hand, when the seat is in the bed configurationof FIG. 33C, the seat surfaces of the back-rest element 1222 andseat-pan element 1224 are concealed, whilst the bedding surfaces 1221and 1211 are visible.

In accordance with a particular aspect of the second and third seatassemblies of the first described above, therefore, the back-restelement 922; 1222 has a first seating surface 923; which forms part of aseat with the upper surface 926; of the seat-pan 924; 1224 and anopposite bed surface 921; 1221 which is adapted to form part of the bedwith one or more other auxiliary passenger-supporting elements 912, 914;1212, 1214.

The passenger seat assembly in accordance with the present invention isthus particularly advantageous because it allows a long bed to beprovided for a passenger in an aircraft cabin or other vehicle whichcapable of accommodating comfortably even very tall passengers having aheight greater than 78-80″ (1.98-2.032 cm) at a minimal seat pitch. Bypositioning a seat assembly, in accordance with the present invention,juxtaposed a concave cabin wall, with the rear passenger supportingelement 912; 1212 disposed adjacent said cabin wall, it is possible touse efficiently the available space within the cabin. In a seatconfiguration, the back-rest element 922; 1222 forms a recess 980; 1280with the rear passenger-supporting element 912; 1212 which can used toconceal tidily bedding materials such as rugs, blankets, pillows, etc.The seat and bedding surfaces of the back-rest element 922; 1222 can begiven respectively different visual appearances such that in a cabininstallation comprising a plurality of seat assemblies according to thepresent invention, a first cabin ambience can be obtained when all or amajority of the seat assemblies are disposed in the seat configuration,and a second, different, ambience can be obtained when all or a majorityof the seats are disposed in the bed configuration. Furthermore, theseat and bedding surfaces can be respectively adapted specifically foruse for their given purposes. Thus, for example, the seating surface ofthe back-rest element 922; 1222 may be provided with foam padding or thelike which is sculpted particularly for use as a seating component,whilst the bedding surface of the back-rest portion can be equipped witha mattress portion or other comfortable, resilient layer that is shapedspecifically for use as a bed component. Another advantage of the seatassembly in accordance with the present invention is that, in the bedconfiguration, the seat-pan element 924; 1224 is completely orsubstantially concealed by the back-rest element 922; 1222, such thatthe appearance of the materials used to cover the seat-pan element doesnot spoil the appearance and ambience afforded by the bedding materials.Preferably, the seat assembly in accordance with the present inventioncomprises a leg-rest portion 928; 1228 spaced forwardly of the seat 920;1220 and, in the bed configuration, the leg-rest element forms part ofan extended bed surface.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A seating system for use in an airplane,comprising: a plurality of seats arranged in a column adjacent to anairplane aisle to define a longitudinal column axis, wherein each of theplurality of seats is positioned with the seat axis at an angle of about45 degrees with respect to the longitudinal column axis; each seathaving a front end and a back end and further including a foot-rest atthe front end of the seat, a reclinable back rest at the back end of theseat, each seat having a seat axis extending from the front end to theback end and having a first sitting position and a second sleepingposition wherein an almost flat bed is formed; each of the plurality ofseats having an associated rear wall substantially parallel to the aisleand being positioned behind its associated seat; at least one screenassociated with each seat, the at least one screen having a first endpositioned adjacent to the rear wall of the associated seat to form awall-screen corner and a second end positioned adjacent to the aisle toseparate the associated seat from an adjacent seat so that at least aportion of the screen extends at an angle of about 45 degrees withrespect to the longitudinal column axis; each seat having a space thatis defined by a portion of its associated rear wall, a portion of itsassociated screen and the back end of the seat when in the sittingposition; and wherein, in the second sleeping position, the almost flatbed is formed with the foot-rest defining a first bed end and having anopposite second bed end that uses the space.
 22. The seating system ofclaim 21, wherein for each seat, its associated screen extendscontinuously from the rear wall to the aisle.
 23. The seating system ofclaim 21, wherein each foot-rest is spaced apart from its associatedseat pan.
 24. The seating system of claim 21, wherein for each seat, itsassociated foot-rest is formed in the screen associated with the seat orthe screen associated with the adjacent seat.
 25. The seating system ofclaim 21, wherein the airplane includes a cabin formed by two opposingside walls and wherein the rear wall associated with a seat is a portionof one of the side walls of the airplane.
 26. The seating system ofclaim 21, wherein each screen extends substantially parallel to the seataxis along a majority of a length of the screen.
 27. The seating systemof claim 21, wherein each of the plurality of seats is at the same fixedangle.
 28. The seating system of claim 21, wherein each of the pluralityof seats has a horizontal surface positioned behind the back end of theseat, the substantially horizontal surface being at a height above afloor and extending from the wall-screen corner towards the back end ofthe seat, wherein the substantially horizontal surface behind the backend of each seat is generally triangular or trapezoidal shaped.
 29. Theseating system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of seats is a subsetof all seats on the airplane.
 30. The seating system of claim 21,wherein the airplane includes a plurality of cabins separated bydividing walls that extend a majority of a width of the airplane, andwherein the plurality of seats includes a majority of seats in a cabin.31. A seating system for use in an airplane, comprising: a plurality ofseats arranged in a column adjacent to an airplane aisle to define alongitudinal column axis, each seat having a forward end and a rearwardend, a back rest at the rearward end of the seat and a seat panpositioned between the forward end and the rearward end, each seathaving a first sitting position and a second sleeping position wherein asubstantially flat bed is formed, wherein each of the plurality of seatsis positioned with the seat axis at a fixed angle of between 30 and 60degrees with respect to the longitudinal column axis; each of theplurality of seats having an associated rear wall positioned behind itsassociated seat; a plurality of screens, wherein each of the pluralityof seats is associated with at least one screen, the at least one screenhaving a first end positioned adjacent to the rear wall of theassociated seat to form a wall-screen corner and a second end positionedadjacent to the aisle to separate the associated seat from an adjacentseat; each of the plurality of seats having a first surface positionedbehind the rearward end of the seat, the first surface extending fromthe wall-screen corner towards the rearward end of the seat; each seathaving a space that is defined by a portion of its associated rear wall,a portion of its associated screen and the rearward end of the seat whenin the sitting position; and wherein, in the second sleeping position,the substantially flat bed is formed having a first bed end and havingan opposite second bed end that extends into the space adjacent to thefirst surface.
 32. The seating system of claim 31, wherein for eachseat, its associated screen extends continuously from the rear wall tothe aisle and adjacent the seat pan.
 33. The seating system of claim 31,wherein for each seat, its associated foot-rest is formed in the screenassociated with the seat or the screen associated with the adjacentseat.
 34. The seating system of claim 31, wherein the airplane includesa cabin formed by two opposing side walls and wherein the rear wallassociated with a seat is a portion of one of the side walls of theairplane.
 35. The seating system of claim 31, wherein each of theplurality of screens is positioned an angle of about 45 degrees withrespect to the longitudinal column axis for at least a majority of alength of the screen.
 36. The seating system of claim 31, wherein eachof the plurality of seats is at the same fixed angle.
 37. The seatingsystem of claim 31, wherein the space behind the rearward end of eachseat is generally triangular shaped.
 38. The seating system of claim 31,wherein the plurality of seats is a subset of all seats on the airplane.